A transgender candidate defeated an incumbent Virginia lawmaker who sponsored a bill that would have restricted which bathrooms she could use.
Democrat Danica Roem, a former journalist, is set to make history as the first openly transgender person elected and seated in a state legislature in the United States.
She unseated Republican Del. Bob Marshall, a 13-term incumbent and socially conservative lawmaker who proudly called himself Virginia’s ‘chief homophobe.’
Roem, 33, openly discussed her gender identity during her campaign, but it was far from her focus.
Instead, she focused on jobs, schools and, with particular fervor, northern Virginia’s traffic congestion.
Marshall meanwhile spent the entire campaign referring to Roem as ‘him,’ but after her win she refused to attack her opponent, saying: ‘He’ll be one of my constituents and I’m not going to attack my constituents.’
Transition: Democrat Danica Roem of Virginia will make history as the first openly transgender person elected and seated in a state legislature (Roem above on Tuesday)
Thumbs up: She defeated 13-term incumbent Bob Marshall, who has been in the legislature since 1992 and authored the state’s anti-trans bathroom-ban bill
The race was one of the year’s most high profile, drawing international attention and big money to the northern Virginia House of Delegates district outside the nation’s capital.
‘It’s historic. … It sends a message to politicians everywhere that the politics of bigotry is over,’ said Democratic House Caucus Chair Charniele Herring.
She started pursuing therapy to begin her gender transition when she was 28, and said in an interview during the campaign that politics should be inclusive of all.
‘No matter what you look like, where you come from, how you worship or who you love, if you have good public policy ideas, if you’re qualified for office, you have every right to bring your ideas to the table,’ she said.
Marshall is out after 13 terms
Roem also argued that Marshall, who has served in the House since 1992, has spent too much time on social policy.
A lightning rod for controversy, Marshall often drew the ire of even his own party.
In addition to this year’s bathroom bill, Marshall was also the author of a now-void constitutional amendment that defined marriage as between one man and one woman, and sponsored a bill banning gay people from openly serving in the Virginia National Guard.
On the campaign trail, Marshall and other Republicans repeatedly misidentified Roem’s gender.
In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Marshall said: ‘For 26 years I’ve been proud to fight for you, and fight for our future. Though we all wish tonight would have turned out differently, I am deeply grateful for your support and effort over the years.’
In it to win it: Roem focused on jobs, schools and, with particular fervor, northern Virginia’s traffic congestion in her campaign
Roem, who sings in a metal band in her spare time, said she learned to listen to different perspectives and digest complicated policy as a reporter for the Gainesville Times and Prince William Times, skills she would bring to bear as a delegate.
Roem wasn’t the only transgender candidate elected Tuesday. Tyler Titus, who is openly transgender, won a seat on a western Pennsylvania school board.
And Andrea Jenkins became the first openly trans woman of color elected to the city council of a major US city when she was elected to represent Ward 8 of Minneapolis on Tuesday.
‘2017 will be remembered as the year of the trans candidate – and Danica’s heroic run for office the centerpiece of that national movement,’ said Aisha C. Moodie-Mills, president & CEO of Victory Fund, in a statement.