Sarah McBride of Delaware is the first openly transgender person in Congress

DOVER, Del. (AP) – Delaware state Sen. Sarah McBride has been elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and will serve as the first openly transgender person to serve in Congress.

McBride easily defeated Republican John Whalen III on Tuesday in the race for Delaware's lone House seat. Whalen is a retired contractor and former state trooper who ran a close election campaign in his first bid for public office.

McBride, meanwhile, has made a name for herself nationally as an LGBTQ activist, raising more than $3 million in campaign contributions from across the country. At the 2016 Democratic National Convention, she gained national recognition as the first openly transgender person to speak at a major party convention in the United States.

“Tonight is a testament to Delawareans that we have shown time and time again that in this neighboring state we judge candidates on their ideas, not their identities,” McBride said.

“I didn’t run to make history. I ran to make a difference for my state and this country,” she added. “I think this sends a strong message that Delawareans are sincere and that our democracy is big enough for all of us.”

As a state senator, McBride earned a reputation for addressing health care issues, including by successfully sponsoring legislation to create a statewide paid family and medical leave insurance program. McBride also sponsored legislation to regulate Medicaid reimbursement rates for home care services and to expand access to dental care for low-income Delawareans. Another bill she introduced would impose a 3.58% tax on the net revenue of Delaware hospitals to leverage additional federal funding for Medicaid. All of these measures have been implemented into law.

Democrats have held Delaware's U.S. House seat since 2010. The seat was left open last year after Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester decided to run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by fellow Democrat Tom Carper.