WILMINGTON, Del. (WPVI) — A forum designed to be the first opportunity for candidates for Delaware statewide office in the general election took an ugly turn after a U.S. House candidate misgendered his opponent. Republican U.S. House candidate Joe Arminio repeatedly referred to Democratic Rep. Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender member of the U.S. House, as “he” and “gentleman.” He was asked to leave. It happened at a forum hosted by the Jewish Federation of Delaware and the Siegel Jewish Community Center in Wilmington. In a statement published on His team also emphasized to Action News that McBride did not want Arminio removed from the forum, but “the event organizers made the final decision to remove him.” This isn’t the first time something similar has happened to McBride. In 2025, Texas Republican Keith Self, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, addressed McBride as “sir.” McBride responded by replying, “Thank you, Madam President.” Republican Senate candidate Dr. Mike Katz is now calling on Arminio to withdraw his candidacy for the United States House of Representatives. We can vigorously debate those differences. That’s part of our democracy.” He added, “But disagreement is not an excuse for disrespect.” Arminio initially spoke to Action News on Thursday night and said he would address the incident, but did not respond to multiple efforts for comment on Friday. Copyright © 2026 WPVI-TV. All rights reserved.
