Danica Roem Becomes First Transgender Elected to State Senate in South

Danica Roem (D-VA) won a Virginia State Senate seat Tuesday, the first openly transgender candidate to win a senate seat in the South.

Roem, 39, defeated Bill Woolf, a former Fairfax County police detective endorsed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA).

Woolf had vowed to ban transgender athletes from competing on school sports teams if elected.

Roem’s victory was a significant part of a big night for Virginia Democrats, which saw them hold the Senate and capture the House of Delegates. The night’s results were a stinging blow to Youngkin, who invested significant personal and political capital in races across the commonwealth.

Roem made history in 2017 when elected to the Virginia House of Delegates, becoming the nation’s first openly transgender state lawmaker.

Roem made his identity as a transgender person a cornerstone of his campaign.

To the people of western Prince William County, the City of Manassas Park and the City of Manassas: I’m so grateful to continue serving my lifelong home community, now in the state Senate.

Thank you so, so much. It’s time to get back to work! pic.twitter.com/EYVYvvTExo

— Del. Danica Roem (@pwcdanica) November 8, 2023

“For the last six years, I’ve focused on serving my constituents and our community, no matter what they look like, where they come from, how they worship if they do, or who they love,” Roem tweeted Tuesday night after his victory.

Roem won with 51.5 percent of votes cast. The northern Virginia Senate District 30 contains most of Alexandria.