Sarah McBride

Sarah McBride is the first trans woman to run for state senate in the United States, and she’s been running quite a successful campaign. McBride appears to be a formidable candidate thanks to her ties to other Democratic officials, the campaign money she has raised, involvement with organizations, and the name she has built up through her work on LBGTQ issues.

While much of the attention on the campaign may focus on Ms. McBride’s gender identity, she stands for a lot more than that. “At the end of the day I’m not running to be a transgender state senator, I’m running to be a senator who serves her community,” she said in a conference call with reporters, noting she believes most voters won’t care about her gender identity. It is her background and resume that should impress them.

Sarah McBride, 28, was born in Wilmington to a lawyer and an education advocate. She came out as trans in 2012 while serving as student body president at American University, the news making national headlines. 

Since then, she’s been involved in Delaware and national politics for more than a decade, working on several Democratic campaigns. She was the first openly trans intern in the White House during Obama’s presidency, prioritizing LGBTQ concerns. In 2013, she successfully petitioned for the passage of legislation fighting against discrimination based on gender identity in Delaware. Governor Jack Markell credited her as a key reason the bill passed and awarded her the Order of the First State. She also spoke at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, expressing a strong commitment to equality in all aspects of American life.

She identified health care as one of her core issues, saying far too many people struggle to pay for vital procedures or medications. McBride pointed to her own experience as a caregiver for her late husband, Andrew Cray, who died of cancer in 2014. She still has not announced what health care policies she is focused on. Other areas of interest for Ms. McBride include criminal justice reform and gun control.  

Ms. McBride officially announced her candidacy for the Delaware State Senate on July 9, 2019. As of January 24th, 2020 McBride has raised more than $170,000 for her campaign since July, a staggering number compared to her running-mates. It rivals even the Governor of Delaware John Carney, who has raised more 180,000 in all of 2019. 

The Delaware State Senate general election will be held on November 3, 2020, and the primary is scheduled for September 15, 2020.