Sarah McBride's Chances of Becoming First Trans Member of Congress
Congress.On Monday, McBride, who became the nation's first openly transgender state senator in 2020, launched her campaign to fill the vacancy left by Democatic Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester, who is leaving the state's only House seat to run for the Senate.McBride is not the only transgender politician to run for Congress, but she could be the first with a real shot at electoral victory.
She was the first openly trans woman to intern at the White House in 2012 during the Obama administration and was also the first transgender person to speak at the Democratic National Convention in 2016.
When she was elected state senator, she became the highest-elected transgender politician in the country.Her campaign announcement comes at a time when transgender rights have become a focal point in the country's culture wars.In recent years, GOP lawmakers have introduced a flurry of anti-trans legislation, including bans on transgender athletes, gender-affirming care and pronoun usage, at both the state and federal levels.
Brands like Bud Light have faced conservative boycotts over their partnerships with transgender influencers. And while Democrats have staunchly opposed these efforts, a Gallup poll released earlier this month shows a national decline in support for gender identity in sports.Philip Jones, a political scientist focused on LGBTQ+ politics, told Newsweek his research has shown that voters are typically less likely to support transgender candidates, who he said are often stereotyped as more liberal than a cisgender candidate who is otherwise similar.
