Danica Roem

Virginia delegate Danica Roem

Danica Roem represents the 13th District in the Virginia House of Delegates including the City of Manassas Park, Town of Haymarket, and Prince William County portions of Manassas and Gainesville. Delegate Roem is a 33-year-old step-mom, a lifelong resident of Prince William County, and the former lead reporter of the Gainesville Times. 

Born at Prince William Hospital in Manassas in 1984, Danica spent four years in public school and 13 years in Catholic schools before graduating from St. Bonaventure University in western New York in 2006, earning a B.A. in Journalism/Mass Communication. She started working for the Gainesville Times a month after graduating and served as half of the full-time editorial staff.

Danica worked two full-time jobs for four out of five years 2009 through 2014, covering federal and state politics at The Hotline (National Journal Group) before writing for Yoga Alliance, a nonprofit organization in Arlington that credentials yoga teachers. She has owned two LLCs, one for her mobile yoga studio and one for her band, which has toured the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Northeast and the U.K.

On Aug. 3, 2015, Danica began working as the news editor of the Montgomery County Sentinel in Maryland, where she helped manage the newsroom and cover local stories in Rockville until stepping down from her post to run for office at the end of 2016. She ran for office to bring a reporter’s eye to Richmond and to speak truth to power.

She covered transportation, economic development, education, land use and many other issues facing the residents of the 13th District from 2006-2015. Danica is the first transgender person to ever run for the Virginia General Assembly.

Delegate Roem’s inspiring and transformative campaign gained national and international attention. As the first out transgender woman elected to a state legislature, Delegate Roem is blazing a new and unique trail. During her first legislative session this year, she was proud to champion bills important to her constituents. Delegate Roem continues to fight every day for her constituents in the 13th District.

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About San Diego Pride

San Diego Pride raises funds primarily through festival ticket and beverage sales, and through sponsorships, and exhibitor fees. These funds support San Diego Pride’s community philanthropy which has distributed more than $2.5 million in advancement of its mission to foster pride, equality, and respect for all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities locally, nationally, and globally.