Danica A. Roem, our 2018 Newsmaker of the Year, made headlines throughout Virginia and the nation last November with her election to the Virginia General Assembly. One of the nation’s first openly transgender elected officials, she also defeated a 13-term incumbent, in large part by focusing on her constituents’ concerns about traffic congestion on Route 28. And, of particular interest to VPC, she is a former journalist who credits that experience with preparing her for public service. “I will always be a reporter before I’m a politician,” she said in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Roem, a native and resident of Manassas, Virginia, worked as a reporter for the Gainesville Times and the Prince William Times, both in Virginia, and as the news editor of the Montgomery County Sentinel, in Maryland. After 10 years in journalism, she left in 2016 to run for office.

While she ran for the Virginia House of Delegates largely on transportation and other local issues, Roem, who completed her transition from male to female in 2015, also championed inclusivity and donned a rainbow headscarf on the campaign trail. Her campaign video was titled “Just Who I Am.”

Her opponent, Del. Robert G. Marshall, had introduced legislation to regulate transgender persons’ use of bathrooms in government buildings, refused to refer to Roem as a woman, and declined to debate her. Following her victory, however, Roem said, “I don’t attack my constituents. Bob is my constituent now.”

Danica Roem, Virginia native and current resident, meets all of the qualifications for our Newsmaker of the Year. She belongs to an under-represented group — transgender citizens — and serves them, and all of her constituents, through her vocation. Like other members of the General Assembly, she has sacrificed to serve the commonwealth. She is committed to public service, took a risk by being openly transgender, and inspires with her honesty, hard work and civility.

We will hear from Roem during our VPC Fall Meeting & Luncheon Oct. 13. Register Now.