Virginia Democrat Danica Roem was projected to win her election Tuesday, according to Decision Desk HQ, becoming the commonwealth’s first openly transgender state senator and the first out transgender person elected to a state Senate anywhere in the South.

Roem, 39, defeated former Fairfax County police detective Bill Woolf, a conservative Republican endorsed by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin ®, who vowed to bar transgender athletes from competing on school sports teams if elected.

“You attack trans kids in my district at your own political peril,” Roem told The Hill in a recent interview.

    • TheOgreChef@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Dems are projected to win the house, and more importantly for her, they won the senate where she will serve. So she’s unlikely to be as hampered by republicans as the Montana rep.

      • Admiral Patrick@dubvee.org
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        1 year ago

        the Montana rep

        Zoey Zooey Zephyr

        Not throwing shade at you, just trying to not diminish her any further than she already has been.

        • TheOgreChef@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          No offense taken! Thank you for adding that in as I was not familiar with her. More visibility is always a good thing.

    • cannibalkitteh@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      1 year ago

      Roem was already a member of the House, this just marks career progression for her. As for Zooey Zephyr, she has had a fair impact in spite of her being barred from the floor for the last week of the session.