Sarah McBride originally ran for office to honour her late husband. He’d be so proud today

Democrat Sarah McBride, who has made history by becoming the first out trans person to be elected to congress, has said she originally ran for office to honour her husband, Andrew Cray, who died in 2014.

Sarah McBride, who also broke new ground in 2020 as the first trans woman to be elected to a state senate, beat Republican John Whalen on Tuesday (5 November) to win the Delaware seat in the US house of representatives. She polled 57.7 per cent of the vote.

Ahead of the election, she said that if she won, it would be thanks to her late husband: trans man and LGBTQ+ rights activist Andrew (Andy) Cray, who died of cancer just four days after their wedding, and informed much of her politics to this day.

“In so many ways, if we win on November 5, it will be because of Andy,” she told 19th News. “Both because of the person he helped me become, but more so because of the change he helped bring in the world and the progress he helped deliver in his all-too-short life.”

McBride described her husband as “the biggest influence on her life and political career”, adding that losing him “deepened her empathy for others” and highlighted the things most important to her in life.

She reportedly met Andy while interning at the White House during Barack Obama’s presidency, however just a year into their relationship, he was diagnosed with oral cancer. After months of treatment, including chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, he appeared to be in remission. However, eight months later, he discovered the cancer was back, and it was terminal.

He asked McBride to marry him after receiving the terminal diagnosis. He was just 28 years old.

“My four years in the Delaware General Assembly, my focus on health care policy, my focus on paid family and medical leave, they were rooted in the needs I was hearing from constituents as I was knocking on doors,” she continued. “But they were also rooted in my own experiences with Andy, where I saw, despite the fact that [he] lost his life, just how lucky we were.”

Andy co-founded Out2Enroll, a service that reviews Affordable Care Act medical plans for LGBTQ+ inclusion, and helps patients find coverage. McBride added that he would be fighting to expand health care access were he alive today.

Speaking about the final months of Andy’s life, McBride said he told her how sad he was to not be with his family, and how proud he was of her.

“As tragic as that conversation was, I’m really grateful for it because it was so vivid,” she said. “I can still see and hear him say: ‘I’m so proud of you’.”

Thank you, Delaware! Because of your votes and your values, I am proud to be your next member of Congress.

Delaware has sent the message loud and clear that we must be a country that protects reproductive freedom, that guarantees paid leave and affordable child care for all our… pic.twitter.com/QgwRkpUlbD

— Sen. Sarah McBride (@SarahEMcBride) November 6, 2024

McBride’s congressional victory has been described as “ground-breaking for the transgender community and our entire country”.

In a statement, GLAAD president Sarah Kate Ellis said: “Sarah is a spectacular public servant who works her heart out to improve people’s lives. [Her] win is a victory for transgender visibility, and should serve as a reminder that trans people should, of course, be free to be themselves and contribute their talents however they wish.

“Her voice and presence will ensure that congress better represents the best of America. Congratulations to Sarah and to her constituents on this historic milestone that will accelerate acceptance for all transgender people.”

LGBTQ+ candidates make election history

While Donald Trump won back the White House and the Republicans took control of the US senate, there were some notable wins for the Democrats, with some history-making LGBTQ+ election successes.

Trans representative Zooey Zephyr was re-elected to the statehouse in Montana, while Iowa has its first trans state house of representatives member, Aime Wichtendahl.

LGBTQ+ politicians were also elected for the first time in Texas and Kentucky, while Washington State’s Emily Randall made history as the first out LGBTQ+ Latina to be voted into congress.

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