Danica Roem on Tuesday defeated
Virginia state Delegate Bob Marshall, a Republican from Prince
William County, to become Virginia's first openly transgender state
legislator.
With 95 percent of precincts reporting,
Roem, a journalist, is leading Marshall with a 55-45 percent margin.
In a Facebook post, Marshall, a vocal
opponent of LGBT rights, thanked supporters.
“Thank you all for your support over
the years and this last election. For 26 years I've been proud to
fight for you, and fight for our future. Though we all wish tonight
would have turned out differently, I am deeply grateful for your
support and effort over the years,” Marshall wrote. “I'm
committed to continue the fight for you, but in a different role
going forward. Thank you for your support, and God bless.”
As recently as last week, Marshall
attacked his opponent's gender identity, saying that he would not use
female pronouns to refer to Roem because she defies the “laws of
nature” at a “fundamental level.”
(Related: Bob
Marshall says transgender opponent Danica Roem defies “laws of
nature.”)
Earlier this year, Marshall introduced
a
bill that sought to prohibit transgender people from using the
bathroom of their choice.