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Ghazala Hashmi

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Ghazala Hashmi

Ghazala Firdous Hashmi ( gə-ZAHL-ə HASH-mee; born July 5, 1964) is an American politician, academic administrator, and educator who is the lieutenant governor-elect of Virginia. A member of the Democratic Party, she has served as a Virginia state senator for the 15th district since 2020. She is the first Asian-American and Muslim elected to statewide office in Virginia, along with being the first Muslim woman to win statewide office anywhere in the United States. Born in India and raised in Georgia, Hashmi earned a PhD in English from Emory University. In 2019, she was elected to the Virginia General Assembly and re-elected in 2023. As the Democratic nominee in the 2025 Virginia lieutenant gubernatorial election, Hashmi defeated Republican nominee John Reid by a margin of 11 percentage points.

Infobox

Governor
Abigail Spanberger (elect)
Succeeding
Winsome Earle-Sears
Preceded by
Glen Sturtevant
Succeeded by
TBD
Constituency
10th district (2020–2024)15th district (2024–present)
Born
Ghazala Firdous Hashmi (1964-07-05) July 5, 1964 (age 61)Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh (now Telangana), India
Political party
Democratic
Spouse
Azhar Rafiq
Children
2
Education
Georgia Southern University (BA)Emory University (MA, PhD)
Website
Campaign website
Party
Democratic

Tables

Virginia's 10th Senate District, 2019 primary election [32] · Electoral history › 2019 election
Total votes
Total votes
Party
Total votes
Party
10,627
Candidate
100%
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Ghazala Hashmi
5,246
49.4%
Democratic
Eileen Bedell
4,347
40.9%
Democratic
Zachary Parks Brown
1,032
9.7%
Democratic
Write-ins
2
0.0%
Total votes
10,627
100%
Virginia's 10th Senate District, 2019 general election[33] · Electoral history › 2019 election
Total votes
Total votes
Party
Total votes
Party
82,377
Candidate
100.00%
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Ghazala Hashmi
44,548
54.10%
Republican
Glen Sturtevant (incumbent)
37,737
45.80%
Write-in
92
0.01%
Total votes
82,377
100.00%
Democratic gain from Republican
Virginia's 15th Senate District, 2023 general election[34] · Electoral history › 2023 election
Total votes
Total votes
Party
Total votes
Party
53,494
Candidate
100.00%
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Ghazala Hashmi (incumbent)
33,253
62.16%
Republican
Hayden Fisher
20,042
37.46%
Write-in
202
0.38%
Total votes
53,494
100.00%
Democratic hold
2025 Virginia Lt. Governor Democratic primary[35] · Electoral history › 2025 Democratic lieutenant gubernatorial primary
Total votes
Total votes
Party
Total votes
Party
481,444
Candidate
100.00%
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Ghazala Hashmi
131,865
27.39%
Democratic
Levar Stoney
128,262
26.64%
Democratic
Aaron Rouse
126,802
26.34%
Democratic
Babur Lateef
40,447
8.40%
Democratic
Alex Bastani
27,386
5.69%
Democratic
Victor Salgado
26,682
5.54%
Total votes
481,444
100.00%
2025 Virginia lieutenant gubernatorial election[36] · Electoral history › 2025 lieutenant gubernatorial election
Total votes
Total votes
Party
Total votes
Party
3,414,177
Candidate
100.00
Turnout
Turnout
Party
Turnout
Registered electors
Registered electors
Party
Registered electors
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
mw- ±%
Democratic
Ghazala Hashmi
1,900,104
55.65%
+6.48%
Republican
John Reid
1,505,395
44.09%
−6.62%
Write-in
8,678
0.25%
+0.13%
Total votes
3,414,177
100.00
Turnout
Registered electors
Democratic gain from Republican
· External links
Preceded byHala Ayala
Preceded byHala Ayala
Party political offices
Preceded byHala Ayala
Party political offices
Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia 2025
Party political offices
Most recent
Political offices
Political offices
Party political offices
Political offices
Preceded byWinsome Earle-Sears
Preceded byWinsome Earle-Sears
Party political offices
Preceded byWinsome Earle-Sears
Party political offices
Lieutenant Governor of Virginia Taking office 2026
Party political offices
Elect
Party political offices
Preceded byHala Ayala
Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia 2025
Most recent
Political offices
Preceded byWinsome Earle-Sears
Lieutenant Governor of Virginia Taking office 2026
Elect

References

  1. NBC News
    https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/virginia-ghazala-hashmi-first-muslim-woman-elected-statewide-rcna242014
  2. The Siasat Daily
    https://www.siasat.com/senator-ghazala-hashmi-deeply-attached-hyderabad-1720912/
  3. The Hill
    https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/469165-ghazala-hashmi-becomes-first-muslim-woman-elected-to-virginias-state
  4. Georgia Southern Magazine
    https://ww2.georgiasouthern.edu/news/magazine/2020/08/07/making-history-alumna/
  5. The American Bazaar
    https://www.americanbazaaronline.com/2019/06/13/indian-american-ghazala-hashmi-democratic-nominee-from-virginias-10th-senate-district-437960/
  6. William Carlos Williams and the American ground of In the American grain and Paterson
    https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/29824251
  7. 8News
    https://www.wric.com/news/politics/local-election-hq/democrat-ghazala-hashmi-wins-10th-senate-district-race/
  8. "Newly empowered Virginia Democrats promise action"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20200109145850/http://www.startribune.com/newly-empowered-virginia-democrats-promise-action/566803882/
  9. Voice of America
    https://www.voanews.com/a/usa_newly-empowered-virginia-democrats-promise-action/6182299.html
  10. Houston Chronicle
    https://www.chron.com/espanol/news/article/Asombra-diversidad-etnica-de-nueva-Legislatura-14959623.php
  11. Associated Press
    https://apnews.com/article/ghazala-hashmi-residency-questions-virginia-lawsuit-8a2b4941b28222b92b15a8be2fdd0aa7
  12. Associated Press
    https://apnews.com/article/virginia-general-assembly-ghazala-hashmi-residency-hearing-5898306f89307bd9cb7429de18723414
  13. Blue Virginia
    https://bluevirginia.us/2024/05/va-sen-ghazala-hashmi-launches-her-campaign-for-the-democratic-nomination-for-lt-governor/
  14. Associated Press
    https://apnews.com/article/virginia-election-lieutenant-governor-ghazala-hashmi-9e2451e5bb3aa9fa787976d33a9ce961
  15. "Virginia Election Results: Hashmi clinches Democratic nomination for Virginia lieutenant gov"
    https://www.fox5dc.com/news/ghazala-hashmi-clinches-democratic-nomination-virginia-lieutenant-governor
  16. "Gay Republican loses race for Virginia lieutenant governor"
    https://www.washingtonblade.com/2025/11/05/john-reid-gay-republican-loses-race/,%20https://www.washingtonblade.com/2025/11/05/john-reid-gay-republican-loses-race/
  17. The Washington Post
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/11/05/virginia-election-jay-jones-hashmi-abigail-spanberger/7610f814-ba92-11f0-b389-38cf5ff33d6f_story.html
  18. INSIDENOVA.COM
    https://www.insidenova.com/news/politics/hashmi-wins-virginias-lieutenant-governors-race-becomes-first-muslim-woman-to-win-statewide-office-in/article_17d8ad0b-eb0c-4bea-9277-53997fa47edb.html
  19. Virginia Dogwood
    https://vadogwood.com/2025/04/24/democratic-candidates-for-lieutenant-governor-come-out-against-anti-union-right-to-work-laws/
  20. Richmond Times-Dispatch
    https://richmond.com/opinion/column/article_7cb5e0b4-e649-4cad-93f4-a4aafade3fc7.html
  21. Virginia Mercury
    https://virginiamercury.com/2025/01/17/education-advocates-urge-va-lawmakers-to-remove-school-support-cap/
  22. WRC-TV
    https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/politics/birth-control-why-youngkin-vetoed-a-contraception-bill-and-how-the-fight-over-access-became-an-election-issue/3624535/
  23. Associated Press
    https://apnews.com/article/virginia-general-assembly-contraception-glenn-youngkin-roe-0731ffcb24a3a1904ce81742e83c9e03
  24. WVEC
    https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/local/virginia/glenn-youngkin-contraception-act-veto-angers-virginia-democrats/291-7f073090-999a-48d5-a09c-ddfcee755b77
  25. The Washington Post
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/05/18/virginia-youngkin-vetoes-skill-games-confederate-contraception/
  26. WRIC-TV
    https://www.wric.com/news/politics/capitol-connection/va-senate-passes-right-to-contraception-act/
  27. WVTF
    https://www.wvtf.org/news/2025-05-06/after-another-veto-virginia-democrats-vow-to-return-next-year-with-contraceptive-protections
  28. WHRO
    https://www.whro.org/health/2025-02-04/doctors-who-provide-abortion-transgender-care-could-get-legal-protections-under-virginia-bill
  29. Virginia Public Media
    https://www.vpm.org/news/2025-02-26/ghazala-hashmi-glenn-youngkin-virginia-budget-medicaid-federal-funding
  30. Virginia Public Media
    https://www.vpm.org/news/2025-01-14/virginia-health-insurance-marketplace-new-january-22-2025-deadline
  31. "Indian-American Democrat Ghazala Hashmi Is Virginia's New Lieutenant Governor"
    https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/indian-american-democrat-ghazala-hashmi-is-virginias-new-lieutenant-governor-9577386
  32. 2019 Senate of Virginia Democratic Primary - District 10 Virginia Department of Elections.
    https://historical.elections.virginia.gov/elections/view/134335/
  33. "Virginia State Senate District 10"
    https://ballotpedia.org/Virginia_State_Senate_District_10
  34. Virginia Department of Elections
    https://enr.elections.virginia.gov/results/public/Virginia/elections/2023-Nov-Gen/ballot-items/22b65935-edd4-4461-9dc2-f60e937fc17d
  35. Virginia Department of Elections
    https://enr.elections.virginia.gov/results/public/virginia/elections/2025-June-Democratic-Primary/ballot-items/01000000-5dd3-825d-4ae0-08dd8cbf4fb8
  36. Virginia Department of Elections
    https://enr.elections.virginia.gov/results/public/virginia/elections/2025-November-General
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