Delaware State Sen. Sarah McBride and HRC President Kelley Robinson at Human Rights Campaign National Dinner in October 2023 in Washington, DC. (Rodney Choice/AP Images for Human Rights Campaign)

Delaware lawmaker Sarah McBride is on her way to making history as the first openly transgender person elected to Congress after winning the Democratc Primary for Delaware’s sole congressional seat.

Noted a press release from the LGBTQ Victory Fund, which has endorsed McBride, “Sarah is going to do amazing work in the U.S. House. She’s spent her career prioritizing trans voices, ensuring that our lives are valued and prioritized.

“And now, she’ll be taking the fight to the U.S. Congress, where transphobes will be forced to justify their terrible policies to her face. She’s going to hold them accountable, and we couldn’t be more excited for her.”

McBride became the country’s first openly transgender state senator in November 2020 when she racked up a runaway victory over Republican Steve Washington in the race to represent Delaware’s 1st Senate District.

Delaware is a heavily Democratic state, which, according to NBC News, makes McBride the favorite to win the general election and replace Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, who is running for the U.S. Senate.

The Republican candidate John Whalen III, a retired police officer and former owner of a construction company.

At her election night celebration in New Castle, McBride told supporters, “Alongside the immense amount of gratitude I feel tonight, I also feel the deep responsibility that comes with being your nominee for this seat. While tonight we celebrate our victory in the primary, we all know that our work is far from over, and we know what is at stake in this election.

“We know what is on the line with the MAGA extremists who are on our ballot here in November in Delaware. We know what happens if Donald Trump wins and Republicans get the full control of Congress. They will not hesitate one second to pass their Project 2025 agenda.”

She added, “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 just here because of what’s at risk. We are also here because of what is possible. … Y’all, hope and joy are making a comeback in America.”

— Tammye Nash