In light of Women’s History Month, The Hawks’ Herald is featuring important women from throughout history. The second week of March highlights women who have paved the way in politics.

Danica Roem was born on September 30, 1984 in Virginia. In her younger years, Roem was the lead vocalist for Cab Ride Home, a melodic death metal band. The band performed more than 120 shows, including a tour in the United Kingdom.

She graduated from St. Bonaventure University with a degree in journalism. She worked as a journalist for more than 10 years. She wrote for The Gainesville Times starting in 2006 and then went to work as the news editor for The Montgomery County Sentinel in 2016. During her journalism career, she received seven awards from the Virginia Press Association.

In 2017, Roem ran for the Virginia House of Delegates as the Democratic candidate. Her opponent was Republican Bob Marshall, a 13-term incumbent who spent most of his campaign trying to smear Roem for her gender.

She won the election, earning the seat for the 13th district of the Virginia House of Delegates and becoming one of the first openly transgender elected officials in the U.S. In 2019, Roem was re-elected after beating Republican Kelly McGinn. She dedicates a lot of her efforts to advocating for the LGBTQ community with a focus on healthcare accessibility, as well as working to better the community on a local level.