Washington:

Delaware state Sen. Sarah McBride won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday, becoming the first openly transgender politician elected to Congress.

The Democrat was the clear winner against Republican John Whalen III, as US news channels predicted, as she gained an unassailable lead after around two-thirds of the ballots were counted.

“Delaware has sent the message loud and clear that we must be a country that protects reproductive freedom … and that this is a democracy big enough for all of us,” she said in a statement posted on social media.

McBride said in a recent interview with CBS that her other priorities include “affordable child care, paid family and medical leave, housing and health care.”

Transgender rights have become a hot topic in the US election – transgender participation in competitive sports and the issue of access to gender-affirming care for minors sparked heated debate.

Democrats largely support transgender rights, but many Republicans condemn what they see as political correctness that ignores the erosion of biological women's rights to their own spaces, from toilets and prisons to sports competitions.

The fight dominated TV advertising in the race for the White House between Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, with the Republican former president last year accusing Democrats of “left-wing gender lunacy” regarding transgender youth.

The LGBTQ+ Victory Fund congratulated McBride for “making history” in American politics.

“Sarah’s voice is vital and she will continue to advocate tirelessly for her constituents and her community,” the group said.

The fund has identified at least 62 transgender candidates nationwide this year — nearly double the 34 in 2020.

They include former Spanish teacher Mel Manuel, who identifies as transgender and non-binary and ran for a seat in Louisiana, one of the most traditionally conservative places in the country.

But they trailed Republican heavyweight Steve Scalise by nearly 50 percentage points in the early stages of the count.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)