Who is Ghazala Hashmi? Indian-American wins lieutenant governor nomination; Democrat to contest Virginia race

Time of India

5 hours ago

Source- Instagram
Senator Ghazala Hashmi made history on Wednesday by winning the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor of Virginia. She is now the first Muslim and the first Indian-American ever nominated for a statewide office in Virginia.
Hashmi defeated five Democratic candidates, including former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, clinching the nomination by a razor-thin margin of less than one percentage point.
She will now face Republican John Reid in November. Reid is the first openly gay man nominated by a major party for statewide office in Virginia.
With Hashmi joining gubernatorial nominee Rep. Abigail Spanberger and attorney general candidate Jay Jones, Democrats have now completed their statewide ticket. The general election could be historic in multiple ways, including the possibility of Virginia electing its first woman governor.
Who is Ghazala Hashmi?
Hashmi is the first Muslim woman and first South Asian American elected to Virginia's state Senate.
She was born in India and moved to the US at age 4, settling in Georgia with her family.
Hashmi holds a PhD in American literature and spent most of her professional life as a professor.
She taught at the University of Richmond and later at Reynolds Community College before entering politics.
In 2019, she entered the Virginia Senate by defeating Republican Glen Sturtevant in a closely watched race. She was re-elected in 2023.
In the Senate, she championed reproductive rights. One of her key bills aimed to protect Virginians' access to contraception. The bill passed both chambers but was vetoed by Governor Glenn Youngkin.