The U.S. House race between McBride and Whalen sets the stage for a potentially historic result

DOVER, Del. (AP) — Delaware voters are poised to make history when they elect the next holder of the state's only seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Democratic State Senator Sarah McBride would be first openly transgender person She was expected to defeat Republican businessman John Whalen III on Tuesday.

With significant advantages in party registration numbers and campaign donations, McBride is considered the favorite in the race for the House of Representatives. Whalen, a low-profile construction company owner and retired state trooper, is running for public office for the first time. As of mid-October, he reported raising less than $7,000 in campaign contributions.

McBride, meanwhile, has made a national name for himself as an LGBTQ activist, raising more than $3.5 million in campaign contributions from across the country. At the 2016 Democratic National Convention, she gained national recognition as the first openly transgender person to speak at a major party convention in the United States.

After winning an easy Democratic primary victory in September, McBride said she was running for Congress not to make history but “to achieve historic progress for Delawareans.”

As a state senator, McBride earned a reputation for addressing health care issues, including by successfully sponsoring legislation to create a statewide paid family and medical leave insurance program. She also supported legislation on Medicaid reimbursement rates for home care services and expanded access to dental care for low-income Delawareans. Another bill she sponsored imposed a 3.58% tax on the net revenue of Delaware hospitals to leverage additional federal Medicaid funding. All of these bills became law.

Whalen declined to appear with McBride at a debate at the University of Delaware last month. His campaign platform focuses on stopping illegal immigration at the U.S. southern border, reducing government spending and balancing the federal budget.

Democrats have held Delaware's U.S. House seat since 2011. This year's race opened last year after Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester said she would finish that term and run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by fellow Democrat Tom Carper.

Polling stations are open on Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.