Sarah McBride Makes History as First Transgender Member of Congress

Sarah McBride won Delaware’s at-large U.S. House seat, after she campaigned on expanding Delawareans’ access to healthcare—an effort on which she has focused her career in the state’s 1st Senate district. In January, McBride will be sworn in as the first out transgender member of Congress. 

McBride’s ascension marks yet another milestone for the millennial state legislator. As the country’s first out transgender state senator, the first transgender person to speak at the Democratic National Convention and the first out trans woman to intern at the White House, McBride has repeatedly broken barriers in politics and proven that voters are ready to elect transgender candidates into elected office.  

For the First Time, the U.S. Senate Will Have Two Black Women

Two years ago, the U.S. Senate did not have a single Black woman. And before that, only two Black women had ever served in the upper chamber of Congress. Lisa Blunt Rochester in Delaware and Angela Alsobrooks in Maryland will change the math, making history while bringing greater representation to Congress and maintaining the Democrats’ hold on the seats.

This is also the first time that two Black women will serve as senators together—and they will each take seats held by white male Democrats.

Arizona and Missouri Legalize Abortion; New York Passes ERA

Amid devastating news in the election, there are some bright spots. Of the 10 states with abortion ballot questions, seven passed constitutional protections for reproductive rights, including Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nevada and New York.

Three states defeated abortion rights measures: South Dakota, Florida (which required 60 percent to pass) and Nebraska.

Voters in Amarillo, Texas, defeated a local ballot measure that would have designated Amarillo as a “sanctuary city for the unborn” and enact local regulations and restrictions on abortion.

Rest in Power: A Running List of the Preventable Deaths Caused by Abortion Bans

Josseli Barnica.
Yeniifer Alvarez-Estrada Glick.
Nevaeh Crain.
Amber Nicole Thurman.
Candi Miller.
Taysha Wilkinson-Sobieski.

Today, 21 states ban abortion or restrict the procedure earlier in pregnancy than the standard set by Roe v. Wade. These states are failing women and their families, causing preventable deaths and irreparable pain and heartbreak for their families—leaving children without mothers, parents without their daughters, and spouses without their partners.

The Next President Will Decide Domestic Violence Policy for Millions of Survivors

Survivor Justice Action, alongside survivors and allies across the country, is taking the conversation about domestic violence beyond individual homes, ensuring it’s heard loudly throughout the halls of Congress.

We refuse to settle for a world that enables, perpetuates and ignores the root causes of domestic violence. We will always make survivors voices a priority, and we won’t stop until domestic violence ends.

Our Elections Are Not Fragile

Citizens can vote in 2024 with confidence. Despite the noise and lies and melodrama, voting will likely be uneventful for the vast majority of Americans.

But even as we grow more confident about Election Day, it is increasingly clear that partisans plan to disrupt the counting and undermine trust after the votes are cast.

Black Women on the Ballot: Top Races to Watch in 2024

The 2024 elections are a watershed moment for Black women in politics.

As Americans—particularly young people and people of color—become more disillusioned by our political processes, the intentional and strategic advancement of Black women candidates may infuse a much-needed dose of confidence in decency, democracy and dignity in politics.

Prop 1 Is About More Than Abortion—It Will Help Caregivers Across New York State

The New York State Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), or Proposal 1 (Prop 1) on the 2024 ballot, will help caregivers in New York. Because women shoulder the burden of unpaid family caregiving responsibilities, the demands of caregiving disproportionately affect women. This disparate impact within the care economy renders the caregiver crisis a critical sex equality issue. As an inclusive, comprehensive and clear sex equality amendment, Prop 1 will offer much-needed support for caregivers across the state.