Nov 8, 2017

Danica Roem becomes Virginia's first transgender elected official

Erica Pandey, author of @Work

Roem canvasses in Virginia. Photo: Steve Helber / AP

Danica Roem, a transgender woman, was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates Tuesday. She defeated incumbent Robert Marshall who, in 2006, referred to himself as the state's "chief homophobe" and, earlier this year, introduced a "bathroom bill" pertaining to transgender individuals, per the Washington Post.

Roem will be one of the very few transgender elected officials in the nation. The first openly transgender person to hold office was Althea Garrison, elected as a Republican to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1992.

Roem is also one of several Democrats who unseated Republicans in races for the Virginia state legislature, a shocking outcome that could see Democrats become the majority party in the chamber.

Go deeper: Democrat Ralph Northam wins the race for Virginia governor

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