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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 serving as the 43rd lieutenant governor of Virginia since 2026. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served as a Virginia state senator for the 15th district from 2020 to 2026. She is the first Asian-American (Indian-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 Hyderabad, India and raised in the state of 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 John Reid in the general election.

Infobox

Governor
Abigail Spanberger
Preceded by
Glen Sturtevant
Succeeded by
Michael Jones
Constituency
10th district (2020–2024) 15th district (2024–2026)
Born
Ghazala Firdous Hashmi (1964-07-05) July 5, 1964 Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh (now Telangana), India
Party
Democratic
Spouse
Azhar Rafiq
Children
2
Education
Georgia Southern University (BA) Emory University (MA, PhD)
Website
Official website Campaign website

Tables

Virginia's 10th Senate District, 2019 primary election · 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 %
Democratic
Eileen Bedell
4,347
40 %
Democratic
Zachary Parks Brown
1,032
9 %
Democratic
Write-ins
2
0 %
Total votes
10,627
100%
Virginia's 10th Senate District, 2019 general election · Electoral history › 2019 election
Total votes
Total votes
Party
Total votes
Party
82,377
Candidate
100 %
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Ghazala Hashmi
44,548
54 %
Republican
Glen Sturtevant (incumbent)
37,737
45 %
Write-in
92
0 %
Total votes
82,377
100 %
Democratic gain from Republican
Virginia's 15th Senate District, 2023 general election · Electoral history › 2023 election
Total votes
Total votes
Party
Total votes
Party
53,494
Candidate
100 %
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Ghazala Hashmi (incumbent)
33,253
62 %
Republican
Hayden Fisher
20,042
37 %
Write-in
202
0 %
Total votes
53,494
100 %
Democratic hold
2025 Virginia Lt. Governor Democratic primary · Electoral history › 2025 election
Total votes
Total votes
Party
Total votes
Party
481,444
Candidate
100 %
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Ghazala Hashmi
131,865
27 %
Democratic
Levar Stoney
128,262
26 %
Democratic
Aaron Rouse
126,802
26 %
Democratic
Babur Lateef
40,447
8 %
Democratic
Alex Bastani
27,386
5 %
Democratic
Victor Salgado
26,682
5 %
Total votes
481,444
100 %
2025 Virginia lieutenant gubernatorial election · Electoral history › 2025 election
Total votes
Total votes
Party
Total votes
Party
3,414,177
Candidate
100
Turnout
Turnout
Party
Turnout
Registered electors
Registered electors
Party
Registered electors
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Democratic
Ghazala Hashmi
1,900,104
55 %
+6 %
Republican
John Reid
1,505,395
44 %
−6 %
Write-in
8,678
0 %
+0 %
Total votes
3,414,177
100
Turnout
Registered electors
Democratic gain from Republican

References

  1. NBC News
    https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/virginia-ghazala-hashmi-first-muslim-woman-elected-statewide-rcna242014
  2. The Washington Post
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/interactive/2026/poems-in-troubled-times-ghazala-hashmi/
  3. The Siasat Daily
    https://www.siasat.com/senator-ghazala-hashmi-deeply-attached-hyderabad-1720912/
  4. The Hill
    https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/469165-ghazala-hashmi-becomes-first-muslim-woman-elected-to-virginias-state
  5. legacylis
    https://legacylis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+ful+SR37+pdf
  6. Georgia Southern Magazine
    https://ww2.georgiasouthern.edu/news/magazine/2020/08/07/making-history-alumna/
  7. "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
  8. The American Bazaar
    https://www.americanbazaaronline.com/2019/06/13/indian-american-ghazala-hashmi-democratic-nominee-from-virginias-10th-senate-district-437960/
  9. William Carlos Williams and the American ground of In the American grain and Paterson
    https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/29824251
  10. 8News
    https://www.wric.com/news/politics/local-election-hq/democrat-ghazala-hashmi-wins-10th-senate-district-race/
  11. "Newly empowered Virginia Democrats promise action"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20200109145850/http://www.startribune.com/newly-empowered-virginia-democrats-promise-action/566803882/
  12. Voice of America
    https://www.voanews.com/a/usa_newly-empowered-virginia-democrats-promise-action/6182299.html
  13. Houston Chronicle
    https://www.chron.com/espanol/news/article/Asombra-diversidad-etnica-de-nueva-Legislatura-14959623.php
  14. Associated Press
    https://apnews.com/article/ghazala-hashmi-residency-questions-virginia-lawsuit-8a2b4941b28222b92b15a8be2fdd0aa7
  15. Associated Press
    https://apnews.com/article/virginia-general-assembly-ghazala-hashmi-residency-hearing-5898306f89307bd9cb7429de18723414
  16. Blue Virginia
    https://bluevirginia.us/2024/05/va-sen-ghazala-hashmi-launches-her-campaign-for-the-democratic-nomination-for-lt-governor/
  17. Associated Press
    https://apnews.com/article/virginia-election-lieutenant-governor-ghazala-hashmi-9e2451e5bb3aa9fa787976d33a9ce961
  18. "Virginia Election Results: Hashmi clinches Democratic nomination for Virginia lieutenant gov"
    https://www.fox5dc.com/news/ghazala-hashmi-clinches-democratic-nomination-virginia-lieutenant-governor
  19. "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/
  20. 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
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