Danica Roem

Biography  

• On the frontlines of trans history 
• A transportation leader and champion for equality 
• Key race in defending the pro-equality Virginia State Senate 

On the frontlines of trans history
Danica first ran for the Virginia House of Delegates in 2017 to take on Virginia’s most conservative lawmaker, a 13-term self-described “chief homophobe.” The LGBTQ+ Victory Fund and its national donor network proudly stood by her historic race with contributions accounting for over 40% of her overall budget! After outraising her anti-LGBTQ opponent 3-to-1 and relentlessly knocking on more than 75,000 doors, Danica won by a vote margin of 7.86% and made history as the first openly out-and-seated transgender state legislator ever elected in the United States. She would go on to defeat anti-LGBTQ+ opponents in her 2019 and 2021 re-elections handily. Over the course of those three campaigns’ the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund and its national network bundled over $406,000 to her historic campaigns. Six years after Danica’s first historic campaign, the number of trans and nonbinary people running for office quadrupled to 72 – a major milestone in the movement for equality.    

A transportation leader and champion for equality
As a lifelong resident of Manassas and covering transportation issues for over nine years as the lead reporter of the Gainesville and Prince William Times, Del. Roem has been committed to fixing Route 28 to prevent crashes and alleviate traffic congestion. Through her commitment to improving transportation in her district and throughout Virginia, this year Del. Roem announced a monumental funding of $24 million to fix Route 28. Working with several out LGBTQ+ Virginia lawmakers and activists, Del. Roem led the passage of major LGBTQ+ civil right protections, including passing nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people and banning gay and trans “panic” defenses.  

Key race in defending the pro-equality Virginia State Senate
With Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin’s administration rolling back protections for the LGBTQ+ community and declaring war on trans students, the LGBTQ+ community must rally behind Del. Roem’s campaign for the state senate to defend the pro-equality majority. If Del. Roem wins, she will make history yet again as the first out transgender state senator ever elected in the south. The LGBTQ+ Victory Fund is prepared for any attacks anti-equality groups will throw her way. Recognizing the difficult fight ahead, the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund is proud to endorse Rep. Danica Roem at the Spotlight level as she fights for an equal future for all Virginians.