Sarah McBride sails toward reelection after advancing unopposed in Delaware Democratic primary

U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride secured the Democratic nomination for a second term representing Delaware on Tuesday without facing a primary challenger. By Wednesday, she was back to emphasizing the work rather than the history.

McBride, the first out transgender person elected to Congress, will face Republican Joseph “Dr. Joe” Arminio in November for Delaware’s sole U.S. House seat.

Decision Desk HQ called the Republican primary for Arminio at 9:11 p.m. Tuesday. He received 18,629 votes, or 47.86 percent. John Whalen III, the party’s 2024 nominee, finished second with 12,523 votes, or 32.17 percent. Earl Cooper received 7,772 votes, or 19.97 percent.

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Arminio, a Wilmington native and political scientist, campaigned largely on inflation, public and private debt, and housing affordability. He previously ran unsuccessfully for Congress in Maryland in 2008.

McBride entered the primary unopposed after launching her reelection campaign with an endurance test that doubled as a political argument: visiting Delaware’s 10 cities, 44 towns, and three villages in 57 hours.

The Advocate reported in July that the tour reflected McBride’s effort to be judged less as a symbol and more as Delaware’s congresswoman, with a record centered on affordability, federal investments, and constituent service.

Her first public message after the primary followed that pattern. On Wednesday, McBride highlighted her participation in Monday’s groundbreaking for the Delaware Container Terminal at the Port of Wilmington.

Related: Sarah McBride went everywhere in Delaware and heard the same warning at all 57 stops

“The funding for this exciting next chapter — partly secured by our Congressional Delegation, past and present — represents an investment in economic opportunity for our neighbors, stronger supply chains, and the capacity of Delaware to continue leading in international commerce,” McBride wrote on Instagram. “Both in this project and others, I will keep working to ensure access to good-paying, union jobs and to the protection of surrounding communities.”

The terminal is expected to create thousands of jobs and expand Delaware’s ability to handle international cargo. It is scheduled to open in 2029.

McBride won the seat in 2024 with nearly 58 percent of the vote.