Who is Ghazala Hashmi, the Democratic candidate for Virginia Lieutenant Governor?

Ghazala Hashmi has made history as the first Muslim and first Indian-American to win the Democratic nomination for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. She was chosen by a major party to run for a statewide office in the state. She will now face Republican John Reid in the general election in November, as per the reports.

She beat five other Democratic candidates, including Levar Stoney, by less than 1% in a very close primary race. Levar Stoney conceded and congratulated Hashmi. Hashmi will run against Republican John Reid, who is the first openly gay man to be nominated by a major party for a statewide office in Virginia, according to the Associated Press.

Reid became the Republican nominee after his only opponent dropped out of the race. Hashmi’s win completed the Democratic team for Virginia’s general election in November. Jay Jones was chosen as the Democratic nominee for Attorney General the day before. In a joint statement, Hashmi, Jones, and Abigail Spanberger said they are united on important issues for Virginians, as per the reports.

More about Ghazala Hashmi

Ghazala Hashmi moved to the U.S. from India at the age of 4, settling first in Georgia. Later, she moved to Richmond, Virginia, after getting a Ph.D. in American literature. She worked as a professor at the University of Richmond and then at Reynolds Community College, as stated by the Associated Press.

Hashmi entered the Virginia Senate six years ago after defeating Republican Sen. Glen Sturtevant. She was reelected to the Senate in 2023. In the Senate, she introduced a bill to protect the right to contraception in Virginia. The bill passed both chambers, but was vetoed by Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin, as per reports.

Who else is running in Virginia?

Virginia’s elections usually get a lot of national attention, especially before midterm elections like the one in 2026. This year’s election will be historic no matter what. Spanberger ran unopposed in the Democratic primary and will face Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears for Governor, according to the reports by Associated Press.

Since both major candidates for Governor are women, Virginia will likely have its first woman Governor in its 250-year history. Republicans didn’t hold any statewide primaries this year. Only one candidate per office went forward to the general election. Earle-Sears became the Republican candidate for Governor after Dave LaRock and Amanda Chase failed to get enough signatures to qualify, as per the reports.

FAQs

Q1. Who is Ghazala Hashmi running against?
She will face Republican John Reid in the general election.

Q2. Why is this election historic?
Virginia may get its first woman Governor and has many diverse candidates.