Sarah McBride
Sarah Elizabeth McBride (born August 9, 1990) is an American activist and politician who has been a Democratic member of the Delaware Senate since January 2021. She was previously the National Press Secretary of the Human Rights Campaign. She won in the November 2020 election in the safely Democratic 1st Delaware State Senate district. As the first openly transgender state senator in the country, she is the highest-ranking transgender elected official in United States history.
McBride is largely credited with having earlier gained passage of legislation in Delaware banning discrimination on the basis of gender identity in employment, housing, insurance, and public accommodations. In July 2016, she was a speaker at the Democratic National Convention, becoming the first openly transgender person to address a major party convention in American history. In 2018, McBride published her book Tomorrow Will Be Different: Love, Loss, and the Fight for Trans Equality.
McBride is a candidate for Delaware's at-large congressional district in the 2024 election to succeed Lisa Blunt Rochester. If elected, she would be the first openly transgender member of Congress.
Personal life
Sarah McBride is a rising senior at American University, where she studies political science. In May 2012, she finished her term as president of the student government, and the next day an op-ed she wrote appeared in the AU student newspaper, The Eagle.
Rather than saying goodbye to the student body, McBride used the article to say hello. For the first time, Sarah McBride introduced herself to the student body. Sarah was previously known as Timothy McBride.
“For my entire life, I’ve wrestled with my gender identity,” McBride wrote. “It was only after the experiences of this year that I was able to come to terms with what had been my deepest secret: I’m transgender.”
In the article, McBride said that she spent years struggling with her identity and her dream of being a politician. She felt she had to choose one, so she picked the path that seemed easier and less likely to disappoint people.
As student body president, McBride worked to progress the LGBT agenda on campus. She worked within student government to establish gender-neutral housing for first-year students, and helped create an LGBT and queer studies minor.
She wrote in the article, “I told myself that if I could make ‘Tim’ worthwhile for other people by changing the world, that being ‘Tim]’ would be worthwhile.”
Although McBride said her efforts were rewarding, they also highlighted her internal struggle. “By mid-fall, it had gotten to the point where I was living in my own head,” she wrote. “With everything I did, from the mundane to the exciting, the only way I was able to enjoy it was if I re-imagined doing it as a girl.”[1]
In August 2014, McBride married Andrew Cray, who had received a terminal cancer diagnosis. Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson presided at their ceremony. Four days after their wedding, Cray died from cancer.
CPC new members
In January 2025, new members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus included Nellie Pou New Jersey 9, Lateefah Simon California 12, Luz Rivas California 29, Laura Friedman California 30, Sarah McBride Delaware, Yassamin Ansari Arizona 3, Dave Min California 47, Maxine Dexter Oregon 3, LaMonica McIver, New Jersey 10.[2]
Replacing Blunt Rochester
Sarah McBride so far has a plurality of support to replace Blunt Rochester in the U.S. House at-large seat. She has served in the Delaware state legislature since 2021,
McBride is no stranger to the national political scene. President Joe Biden has called her to discuss LGBTQ policy issues and she’s known the Biden family for years, calling Beau Biden, the president’s late son, a mentor.[3]
Equality Delaware
Our Revolution, 2024
Sophie Phillips connection
DSA connection
Delaware Democratic Socialists of America August 6, 2022.
DSA members (and many others!) canvassing for DSA members ✊🏼✊🏾
Paul Baumbach for Delaware
I was happy to join David Bentz, Sarah McBride, Sharae'a Moore for State Representative, and many others knocking doors with and for Madinah Wilson-Anton’s re-election campaign today. I was able to canvass a manufactured housing community which is being shut down by year-end. Every resident is working on finding housing before their community shuts down.
Delaware DSA's Jonathan Tate back center.
Supporting Lisa Blunt Rochester
Reception for Lisa Blunt Rochester with Coby Owens, Senator Sarah McBride, Senator Marie Pinkney, Rep. Madinah Wilson-Anton, Everett Anderson, Dwayne Bensing, Jordan Hines, and Michael Smith.
Contact: Shania Trammell.