US elects first openly transgender Congresswoman on night of historic firsts

Democrat Sarah McBride has become the first openly transgender person elected to serve in Congress, a historic first for the United States.

Ms McBride easily defeated her Republican opponent, John Whalen III, for Delaware’s seat in the House of Representatives.

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Ms McBride has established a national profile as an LGBTQ+ activist, raising more than $3m (£2.33m) for her election campaign. This isn’t the first time she has made history after she became the first out trans person elected to a state senate seat in 2020. She was also the first out trans person to intern at the White House in 2012, under the Obama administration.

“Tonight is a testament to Delawareans that we have shown time and time again that in this state of neighbours, we judge candidates based on their ideas and not their identities,” Ms McBride said.

“I didn’t run to make history. I ran to make a difference for my state and this country,” she added. “I think this is a powerful message that Delawareans are fair-minded and that our democracy is big enough for all of us.”

While all eyes are on the main presidential race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, Ms McBride’s victory is one of several historic firsts taking place during the election’s lower ballots.

For the first time, Arkansas will elect a woman to chief justice of its Supreme Court, as voters decide between Justices Rhonda Wood and Karen Baker, who sit on opposite sides of the abortion debate.

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Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester will be the first woman and first black person to represent Delaware in the Senate. Fellow Democrat Angela Alsobrooks, of Maryland, will also be the first black senator from her state.

In New Jersey, Andy Kim’s win means he will be the first Korean American elected to the Senate.