Republican U.S. House candidate Joe Arminio was removed from a candidate forum in Wilmington, Delaware, on Thursday, September 17, 2026, after misgendering his opponent, Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.). The incident occurred during a debate hosted by the Jewish Federation of Delaware and the Siegel Jewish Community Center. Arminio referred to McBride, the first openly transgender member of Congress, using masculine pronouns and titles.
Event organizers and moderator Ken Grant warned Arminio regarding decorum before asking him to leave the stage. During his opening remarks, Arminio referred to McBride as "he," prompting boos from the audience. Grant told Arminio that he would be asked to leave if he failed to show respect to others on stage. Arminio acknowledged he had "committed an error" but later, while discussing healthcare, referred to McBride and Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) as "gentlemen."
Following this, the crowd interrupted again, and organizers told Arminio to depart. McBride attempted to intervene, stating she did not want Arminio to lose his ability to speak, but she was cut off by the moderator. Republican Senate candidate Dr. Mike Katz, who was also on stage, called for Arminio to be removed and later issued a statement calling for Arminio to withdraw his candidacy.
A voter in Delaware would notice a direct change in the scheduled programming of the forum, which ended with one fewer candidate on stage than planned. The incident follows two documented instances in 2025 where House Republicans, specifically Rep. Keith Self (R-Texas) and Rep. Mary Miller (R-Ill.), used masculine titles to refer to McBride. These events establish a pattern of verbal disputes over gender identity within legislative and campaign settings, which can lead to the adjournment of hearings or, as seen on September 17, the removal of candidates from public forums.
The knock-on effects include a formal call from a fellow Republican candidate, Dr. Mike Katz, for Arminio to end his campaign. While McBride stated on social media that she remains focused on policy issues like the cost of groceries and healthcare, the incident has drawn renewed attention to the standards of conduct in congressional debates. Arminio’s campaign did not respond to requests for comment following the forum. As of September 18, 2026, Arminio has not withdrawn from the race.