Following the November 8th election, the state of Delaware now has 5 LGBTQ individuals in the state legislature.
All three of the incumbents won their re-election campaigns. They are State Senator Sarah McBride District 1), State Senator Marie Pinkney (District 13), and State Representative Eric Morrison (District 27).
They are joined by Kerri Evelyn Harris who will be the State Representative from the 32nd District, and Deshanna Neal, who will become the State Representative representing the 4th District. Learn more about these elected officials below. Abbreviated bios provided by the Victory Fund.
DeShanna Neal
DeShanna Neal (they/them), is a queer parent of four and community organizer. She became a public figure when her daughter Trinity expressed her desire to receive gender-confirming medical treatments as a teenager. DeShanna fought for and won the right for Trinity to become the first child in Delaware to receive gender confirmation surgery via Medicaid. Despite the controversy and criticism she has received, she stands firm in her beliefs of racial justice, accessible medical and mental healthcare, and LGBTQ+ rights, and continue to fight not only for her family but for all families in need in my community.
Kerri Harris
Kerri Evelyn Harris is a veteran, community advocate, and mother; as such, has dedicated her life to public service. She believes in rolling up her sleeves and putting in the work necessary to help uplift her community, state, and nation. She comes from a diverse, multicultural family that instilled values of equality, opportunity, and respect for all people, regardless of background. Her parents were advocates and teachers who nurtured the passion for public service in us. Kerri’s family history shaped the person she is today and instilled these core values that continue to drive her.
Marie Pinkney
Sen. Marie Pinkney represents the 13th District, which stretches from the Christiana River south to Red Lion Road and encompasses dozens of neighborhoods along Route 13. Raised by her great aunt in Wilmington and New Castle, Pinkney graduated from Howard High School of Technology. She earned her bachelor’s degree in social work from Norfolk State University and a master’s degree in social work from Delaware State University. Sen. Pinkney became the first African American LGBTQ+ person ever elected to the Delaware Senate in 2020. She is dedicated to fighting the negative impacts of racial and socioeconomic inequalities, as well as the stigmas and hurdles faced by formerly justice-involved individuals and those with limited educational backgrounds.
Eric Morrison
Rep. Morrison is a lifelong Delawarean. He grew up downstate in Bridgeville and graduated from the University of Delaware Honors Program in 1996. Rep. Morrison worked for six years as a full-time educator and as a part-time educator for many years thereafter. Rep. Morrison worked for 13 years in Medicaid, Medicare, and other vital health programs for Delawareans—such as the Delaware Prescription Assistance Program (DPAP), the Delaware Healthy Children Program (DHCP), the Community Healthcare Access Program (CHAP), and the Delaware Cancer Treatment Program (DCTP). He helped implement Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage in Delaware and traveled the state educating and signing up seniors. He now works in human resources.
Sarah McBride
Senator McBride is the first openly transgender state senator in American history. In the Delaware State Senate, Senator McBride serves as the chair of the Health and Social Services Committee, where she has championed health care reforms that lower costs, expand access, and improve quality. In just her first term, Senator McBride successfully passed paid family and medical leave in the First State, marking the largest expansion of Delaware’s social safety net in decades. Prior to her service in the state senate, McBride was a national leader in the fight for LGBTQ equality and served as the spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign.