Sarah McBride Honored Her Late Husband Following Her Election to Congress

When she was elected as Delaware's only congressperson, Sarah McBride made history. She became the first openly transgender person elected to the U.S. Congress, a milestone that feels even more monumental because of the virulently anti-trans streak in the Republican party.

Following the news of her victory, many wanted to know more about Sarah, including who her husband is. Sarah's husband died in 2014, but here's what we know about who he was and how he shaped who she became.

Sarah was married to Andrew Cray, an LGBTQ+ activist who died in 2014, just four days after they got married.

“For me, the way Andy lived was such a profound example of the notion that kindness is never the wrong answer,” McBride told People. “My work in the legislature has been a love letter to Andy in so many ways. I carry him with me every single day, both in those lessons that I've learned from him, but also in the values and policies that I fight for as a legislator.”

Sarah has already spent much of her life in Democratic politics, and struck up a close relationship with President Joe Biden's son, Beau Biden before his death in 2015.

“The results are a testament to Delawareans who have demonstrated that they are judging candidates based on their ideas and not their identities,” she told People following her victory.

Andrew Cray died of oral cancer in 2014, but before his death, he was a hugely impactful activist on behalf of LGBTQ+ rights. He was instrumental in securing protections for LGBTQ+ people as part of the Affordable Care Act and also worked to pass the HOPE Act, which made organ transplants more accessible to people with AIDS. His legislative advocacy lives on in part through his wife's hugely successful career.

Although Sarah did break down barriers with her victory, she emphasized in speaking with People that that was not the only reason she ran.

“I know how much it would have meant for me as a kid to see something like this happen, but I didn't run to make history with an election, I ran to help make historic progress in Congress for all Delawareans on all of the issues that matter," she said.

Sarah added that her belief in politics came from a feeling of hope.

“It was a crisis of hope rooted in the fact that I felt alone, that the heart of this country was not big enough to love someone like me, rooted in the perception that my government didn't see and respect me, that society wasn't built for someone like me to succeed,” she added.

Sarah's victory is historic, and it comes in the midst of election results that she probably wouldn't have preferred. She's headed to Congress, even if it's unclear what she'll be able to get done under a Trump administration.