Transgender candidates won several federal, state and local elections this cycle, despite Republicans spending over $200 million on an ad campaign that falsely presented trans people as a threat to the nation.
Delaware State Sen. Sarah McBride (D) won the state’s sole House seat on Tuesday, becoming the first openly transgender person elected to Congress.
“Because of your votes and your values, I am proud to be your next member of Congress,” McBride said on social media. “Delaware has sent the message loud and clear that…this is a democracy that is big enough for all of us.”
McBride, former national spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, campaigned on expanding access to health care and child care, protecting reproductive rights, and implementing gun reform. She was endorsed and funded by pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC, and has said that she would oppose any proposal to place restrictions on U.S. aid to Israel.
McBride’s win comes after the election of Democrat Kim Coco Iwamoto in August to the Hawaii House of Representatives. Iwamoto, who is Hawaii’s first openly transgender elected official, was the first person in U.S. history to unseat an incumbent House speaker in a Democratic primary.
Voters also elected Democrat Aime Wichtendahl, a member of the Hiawatha City Council, to Iowa’s state House, making her Iowa’s first transgender state lawmaker.
Montana State Rep. Zooey Zephyr (D) was also reelected, ensuring her return to the state House floor nearly two years after she was silenced and sanctioned by her Republican colleagues for defending the right of trans youth to gender-affirming care.
“It is an honor to have been re-elected to the Montana House of Representatives,” Zephyr said on X. “And I promise to do as I have always done: fight for my constituents, stand up against those who seek to break democracy, and be a bulwark against the rising tide of American fascism.”
Several transgender politicians also won their first elections or were reelected to city council seats, including Jennifer Williams (Trenton, New Jersey), Emma Curtis (Lexington, Kentucky), and Jo Miller (Woodbury City, New Jersey).
These wins represent some of the few bright spots on an otherwise grim night for Democrats, as Donald Trump surged to victory in the presidential race and Republicans regained control of the Senate and appear poised to take back the House of Representatives.
In recent years, right-wing lawmakers have launched increasing attacks on the rights of transgender people across the county, specifically trans youth. In fact, research from the Williams Institute found that over 90 percent of transgender youth live in states where laws have been proposed or passed to restrict their rights.
These attacks are now poised to move to the federal level. Trump’s political platform, “Agenda 47,” includes several anti-trans policies, such as banning transgender people from participating in women’s sports and prohibiting federal and state funding for gender-affirming care. With an emboldened conservative legislature, transgender adults are also likely to face growing threats and restrictions to needed health care.
However, the election of transgender politicians demonstrates that trans people will continue to fight for their rights and advocate for their communities, advocates say.
“With the devastating Harris loss still very fresh, it’s important not to lose hope,” transgender activist Allison Chapman told Truthout. “With multiple victories of trans politicians across the United States, it’s clear that trans people are not going back without a fight, and we can win.”
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