Delaware State Sen. Sarah McBride won the Democratic primary for the state’s at-large U.S. House seat Tuesday night, clearing the path for her to make history as the first openly transgender person in Congress.
McBride defeated Wilmington businessman Earl Cooper and financier Elias Weir in the Democratic primary with just under 80 percent of votes, according to the state’s Department of Elections website. In November she will face John Whalen III, who won Tuesday’s Republican primary.
The seat is seen as a solid Democratic seat, according to Cook Political Report. Democrats have held the seat continuously since 2010.
McBride is looking forward to the November election, she said in a statement to The Washington Post.
“Alongside the immense amount of gratitude I feel, I also feel the deep sense of responsibility that comes with being the nominee,” she wrote. “Because while today we celebrate a victory in our primary, our work is far from over. Our rights and our freedoms — our dignity and our democracy — are on the line in this election. But so too is the promise of tomorrow. Because we aren’t here just because of what’s at risk, we are also here because of what is possible.”
McBride announced last July she would run to replace Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), who is running for the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.).
McBride first made history as the country’s first openly transgender state senator when she won her election in November 2020.
She previously had made history, first in 2012 when she became the first openly transgender person to serve as a White House intern during President Barack Obama’s tenure, then in 2016 when she became the first transgender person to speak at that year’s Democratic National Convention.
Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit organization against gun violence, endorsed McBride’s campaign last month. Angela Ferrell-Zabala, the executive director of Moms Demand Action and a spokesperson for Everytown, said the organization couldn’t be happier about McBride’s primary win.
“With a proven track record of championing common-sense gun safety laws in the Delaware legislature, there is no one better suited for this seat,” Ferrell-Zabala said. “Sarah understands that gun violence is an intersectional issue. She gets that any threat to the safety of one community, should be taken a threat to all communities.”
Planned Parenthood Action Fund also endorsed McBride’s campaign in February. Planned Parenthood of Delaware president April Thomas-Jones said she feels McBride is the right choice to represent the state.
“As the first African American leader of Planned Parenthood of Delaware, I know the invisible barriers that prevent progress and social change all too well,” Thomas-Jones said. “I proudly stand with Sarah McBride as she not only shatters invisible ceilings, but also paves the way for others to join her. Delaware primary voters reaffirmed that the LGBTQ+ community has a seat at the table, transgender people belong at every level of government, and that our hope for a better tomorrow can be a reality.”
John Wagner contributed to this report.