Sarah McBride has become America's first openly transgender state senator after claiming a seat in Delaware.
"We did it," McBride wrote on Twitter on Tuesday night after her victory, adding, "Thank you, Thank you, Thank you."
“Throughout this election cycle, Donald Trump and other cynical politicians attempted to use trans people as a political weapon, believing they could gain popularity by stoking fear and hate,” Annise Parker, CEO of the LGBTQ Victory Fund, said in a statement. “For Sarah to shatter a lavender ceiling in such a polarizing year is a powerful reminder that voters are increasingly rejecting the politics of bigotry in favor of candidates who stand for fairness and equality.”
This isn't the first time McBride has made history either. As NBC reported, in 2016, McBride spoke at the Democratic National Convention, becoming the first transgender person to speak at a major party convention.
While still in college, she interned with the Obama administration, becoming the first out transgender woman to work in the White House, according to her campaign announcement.
Prior to the September primaries, McBride was quoted as telling the Associated Press, “My identity is one part of who I am, but it’s just one part.” She added, “I would be legislating based not on my identity…I would be legislating based on my values and on the needs of my constituents.”
