Who is Ghazala Hashmi? Hyderabad-born educator poised to make US political history in Virginia

Washington D.C: Ghazala Hashmi, a Hyderabad-born educator turned politician, is once again in the spotlight as she leads the race for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, according to the latest Washington Post–Schar School poll. If elected, Hashmi would make history as the first Muslim and Asian-American to hold the position in the state’s history.

Born in 1964 in Hyderabad, with ancestral roots in Karachi (now in Pakistan), Ghazala Hashmi moved to the United States with her family at the age of four. Raised in a small town in Georgia, she experienced early on how diversity and dialogue can unite communities across cultural and social divides.

Hashmi earned a Bachelor’s degree in English from Georgia Southern University and a Ph.D. in English from Emory University. In 1991, she and her husband, Azhar, settled in the Richmond area of Virginia, where she spent nearly three decades as an educator at the University of Richmond and Reynolds Community College, according to media reports.

Academic to Politician:

Hashmi’s entry into politics came in 2019 when, as a Democrat, she defeated incumbent Republican Glen Sturtevant in Virginia’s 10th Senate District. 

Since then, Hashmi has become a respected voice in Virginia politics, focusing on issues such as public education, healthcare access, voting rights, gun violence prevention, climate action, housing, and the preservation of democracy.

Campaign for Lieutenant Governor gains momentum

Now, as the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor, Hashmi is leading her Republican opponent John Reid, a conservative talk show host, by seven points in the latest polls, an increase from a four-point lead in September.

Her campaign has placed strong emphasis on education, workforce training, and economic opportunity, themes that reflect her decades-long experience in academia. In a recent campaign ad titled “Educator”, a supporter praises her for “expanding apprenticeships and technical training so workers can get good-paying jobs, whether they go to college or not.”

Posting the ad on social media platform X, Hashmi wrote, “Virginia workers know nobody is working harder for them. As lieutenant governor, I will continue my fight to increase wages, protect affordable health care, and create opportunities for all families to thrive.”

Observers say her inclusive message and ability to connect across ethnic lines have helped galvanise South Asian voters, who are traditionally underrepresented in U.S. state politics.