Sarah McBride has become the first openly transgender state senator in United States history.
The Democrat won the race for the Delaware Senate during Tuesday's general election, making her the first transgender person to hold office in the state's upper chamber.
It also made her the highest-ranking trans official in the US.
Shortly after the result was announced she wrote on Twitter: "We did it. We won the general election. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
"I hope tonight shows an LGBTQI+ kid that our democracy is big enough for them, too.
"As Delaware continues to face the COVID crisis, it's time to get to work to invest in the policies that will make a difference for working families."
While she joins a handful of other transgender legislators around the country, she is the first transgender person to hold the office of state senator.
She ran on a platform with policies including paid family and medical leave for all workers, reducing costs and increasing competition in the health care industry and strengthening public schools.
While in college at American University, she interned in the Obama White House, becoming the first openly transgender woman to work in the White House in any capacity.
Ms McBride, a trans rights activist, has played a crucial role in the fight for LGBTQ+ discrimination protections in her state of Delaware and has lobbied for the Equality Act to extend protections nationwide.
For her efforts advancing equality in Delaware, former Governor Jack Markell awarded Ms McBride the Order of the First State, making her one of the youngest Delawareans granted the state's highest civilian honour.
Meanwhile, further north, Taylor Small, 26, has been elected to the Vermont State Legislature, becoming that state's first trans representative.
The Victory Fund, a group aiming to increase the number of openly LGBTQI+ elected officials in the US, congratulated Ms Small on Twitter, writing, "History made!".
The group also congratulated Ms McBride.
In a statement, chief Annise Parker called Ms McBride's victory "a powerful reminder that voters are increasingly rejecting the politics of bigotry in favour of candidates who stand for fairness and equality."
The pair's victories mean there are now five trans state legislators across the US.
Additional reporting by Evan Young.
