Indian-American Ghazala Hashmi makes history as first Muslim woman elected Virginia lieutenant governor

Virginia: Democrat Ghazala Hashmi is set to become Virginia’s next lieutenant governor, marking a historic victory as the first Muslim woman elected to statewide office in the United States.

According to projections from CNN and NBC News, Hashmi defeated Republican John Reid, a former talk show host and Virginia’s first openly gay statewide nominee. Hashmi, who represents a district south of Richmond in the Virginia Senate, began her political career in 2019 when she flipped a Republican-held seat. She later won the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor earlier this year. Before entering politics, she built a nearly three-decade-long academic career as an English professor at the University of Richmond and Reynolds Community College, where she founded the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.

Speaking to The Washington Post last month, Hashmi said she hoped her victory would send a message that Virginians reject division based on “lines of bigotry”. “We’re really showing the rest of the country that Virginia is in a position where we embrace diversity,” she said.

NBC News also projected that former Representative Abigail Spanberger won the Virginia governor’s race, becoming the state’s first woman to hold that office. The victories of Spanberger and Hashmi mark a milestone moment for women and minority representation in Virginia politics.

Hashmi’s new role as lieutenant governor places her first in line to succeed the governor in case of death or resignation and gives her the power to cast tie-breaking votes in the state Senate. Several former lieutenant governors have used the position as a springboard for gubernatorial campaigns.

Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin lauded her campaign, stating that “Lieutenant Governor-elect Hashmi ran a brilliantly focused campaign all about lowering costs, growing Virginia’s economy, and ensuring our kids have access to high-quality child care and education.”

Ghazala Hashmi was born in Hyderabad, India, and moved to the United States for higher education. She has lived in Virginia for over three decades with her husband, Azhar Rafiq, and their two daughters. The couple married in the late 1980s and settled in the Richmond area in 1991.

Rafiq and Hashmi have been deeply rooted in the local community since then, with Hashmi balancing her family life with a distinguished academic and political career. The Hashmi family’s long-standing residence in Virginia underscores her message of belonging and civic service in her adopted home.

Her victory reflects Virginia’s growing diversity and the Democratic Party’s efforts to elevate women and minorities to leadership positions across the state.