Sarah McBride will be Delaware's next senator for the First State Senate District. Photo / Twitter: WFLA News
America has elected its first openly transgender senator.
Democrat Sarah McBride will be Delaware's next senator for the First State Senate District.
McBride is a spokeswoman for the Human Rights Campaign, America's largest LGBTQ advocacy organisation, and in the past year has taught public policy to students at the University of Delaware's Biden Institute.
Her success comes despite anti-trans Facebook posts by her Republican opponent Steve Washington as well as other transphobic harassment.
However, she told Vox that most voters never bring up her identity.
"Voters in this district are fair-minded and they're judging candidates based on their ideas and not their identities," she said.
"They're looking for candidates with the imagination and the energy and the experience to meet this moment with meaningful results."
McBride said her campaign had been focused on health care affordability, universal paid family and medical leave, universal pre-school education and criminal justice reform.
McBride was previously married to Andrew Cray and was his caregiver while he battled cancer that eventually claimed his life.
She has worked for former Governor Jack Markell, Attorney-General Beau Biden and in the Obama White House.
Pope Francis, 88, is alert and hasn't had another respiratory attack.