The Human Rights Campaign is endorsing a transgender activist running for the state Senate.
HRC, which advocates for equality on behalf of people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer, is throwing its support for Democratic state Senate candidate Sarah McBride.
McBride, a Wilmington native, is running to succeed retiring State Sen. Harris McDowell. His term is up at the end of next year.
McBride is still the national press secretary for HRC, working for them part-time. She said they’re familiar with her accomplishments, like her work helping to pass Delaware’s 2013 non-discrimination bill.
“This is an organization that is very familiar with my work and my background, so it’s no surprise that some of the first organizations that are weighing in on this race are going to be LGBTQ organizations,” she said.
McBride said she’s not running as an LGBTQ candidate.
“I’m passionate about expanding access to affordable healthcare, ensuring that more families have the ability to not give up a days’ wages in order to take care of a sick loved one," she said. "It’s about reforming our criminal justice system.”
But if elected, she would be the first transgender state senator in U.S. history.
At the 2016 Democratic National Convention, she made history by becoming the first openly transgender person to speak at a major party convention.
