Democrat Sarah McBride is expected to make history as the first openly trans person elected to US Congress.
In 2016, McBride became the first openly transgender person to address a major US political convention and in 2020 became the first to serve in a US state Senate.
“The fact that the candidacy of someone like me is even possible… is a testament to Delawareans,” McBride said in a recent interview.
However, she sought to play down the history-making nature of her nomination and expected election.
“People have seen that I have a track record of rolling up my sleeves, digging into the details, bringing Democrats and Republicans together,” she said. “That’s what I’ve been campaigning on. I’m not running on my identity.”
McBride is not worried about working with people who oppose trans rights in Congress, saying she will focus on members open to bipartisanship, even if they do not fully agree with her values.
“If democracy is going to work, we have to be able to have conversations across disagreement,” she said. “There is a responsibility that comes with being first, but (that) doesn’t matter if I don’t fulfil the responsibility of just being the best member of Congress that I can be for Delaware.”