Sarah McBride Becomes First Trans State Senator in U.S. History

Sarah McBride won her state senate race in Delaware on Tuesday evening, becoming the first transgender state senator in U.S. history. 

In a tweet marking her win, McBride simply said, “We did it. We won the general election. 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.”

According to the LGBTQ Victory Fund, McBride joins just four other out trans people currently serving in state legislatures. This includes Colorado state representative Brianna Titone, New Hampshire state representatives Lisa Bunker and Gerri Cannon, and Virginia state delegate Danica Roem, the first out trans person to serve in a state legislature.

“Sarah’s overwhelming victory is a powerful testament to the growing influence of transgender leaders in our politics and gives hope to countless trans people looking toward a brighter future,” Parker added.

As McBride’s website explains, her campaign and future policy work will focus on health care affordability, universal paid family and medical leave, universal pre-K, and criminal justice reform.

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. 

Prior to the September primaries, McBride told 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.”

In October, the American University alum told the school’s newspaper, The Eagle, “The best way that I can do justice by the LGBTQ community is to do right by my district, and to work my heart out and to be the best state senator I can be for every single resident of the 1st Senate District. That’s how I honor and uphold the responsibility I have to the broader LGBTQ+ community.”

Originally Appeared on Glamour