Sarah McBride Makes History Again: Delaware Trailblazer Announces Groundbreaking 2024 Congressional Run

Washington — Delaware Congresswoman Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender person ever elected to the U.S. House, is back in the national spotlight after Georgia Republican Andrew Clyde repeatedly addressed her as “the gentleman from Delaware” during floor proceedings on Tuesday, sparking a fresh debate over respect and decorum in Congress. Clyde’s choice of words—echoing similar incidents by a handful of conservatives last year—was immediately condemned by LGBTQ+ advocates and Democrats as deliberate misgendering. “Transgender Americans deserve dignity, and so do their elected representatives,” McBride said in a statement, calling the episode “a cynical attempt to score cheap political points off hate.” The clash arrives at a pivotal moment. House GOP leaders are preparing votes on two high-profile bills that would block federal funding for gender-affirming care and restrict transgender participation in school sports nationwide—proposals McBride has vowed to fight “with every ounce of energy.” Her office reports a 300 percent spike in constituent emails since Tuesday, underscoring how the controversy has vaulted her name to the top of social-media trend lists. Republicans defending Clyde argue that House tradition historically uses “gentleman” as gender-neutral parliamentary language, but non-partisan clerks note that members now routinely tailor salutations to match a colleague’s identity. “It costs nothing to be respectful,” said Rules Committee Democrat Mary Gay Scanlon. Why it matters for 2026 1. Fund-raising surge: Within 48 hours, McBride’s re-election campaign says it raised more than $550,000 from 18,000 small-dollar donors, a record for a Delaware House incumbent this cycle. 2. Policy spotlight: LGBTQ+ groups are leveraging the uproar to mobilize opposition against the forthcoming health-care and sports bills, framing them as part of a broader “culture-war” agenda. 3. Electoral chessboard: Delaware’s at-large seat is safely blue, but strategists warn that repeated high-visibility clashes could energize turnout on both sides in purple suburbs elsewhere. Search interest skyrockets Google searches for “Sarah McBride pronouns,” “Andrew Clyde misgender,” and “trans rights in Congress” quadrupled this week, according to real-time analytics firms, signaling potent SEO opportunities for newsrooms and advocacy groups seeking to capture engaged audiences. What’s next • Floor showdown: McBride is expected to take the microphone during next week’s debate on the gender-affirming-care ban. Allies say she will share personal testimony about transitioning while working in the Obama White House. • Possible ethics complaint: Progressive caucus members are drafting a letter asking the House Ethics Committee to examine whether intentional misgendering violates workplace harassment rules. • Senate echo: Delaware Sen. Chris Coons has introduced a resolution praising “the courage and authenticity” of transgender public servants—an implicit rebuke of Clyde’s remarks. A companion measure could reach the floor next month. Bottom line Sarah McBride’s meteoric rise from state senator to historic trailblazer in Congress already made her a household name among equality advocates. This week’s misgendering episode, however, has amplified her profile far beyond Delaware, turning the 36-year-old lawmaker into a central figure in the nation’s ongoing battle over transgender rights—a culture-war flashpoint likely to shape headlines, fund-raising appeals, and search-engine queries well into the 2026 midterms.