Virginia state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi could make history Tuesday night as the first Muslim woman ever elected to statewide office in the United States.
Hashmi is running to become Virginia’s next lieutenant governor in a competitive race against Republican John Reid, a former conservative talk radio host, who could make history himself as the first openly gay Republican elected to statewide office in the country. Virginia will also elect its first woman governor Tuesday in a two-woman contest between former Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger and Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears.
Both lieutenant governor candidates have largely steered clear of the history-making potential of their campaigns, focusing rather on the issues they hope will animate their respective parties. For Hashmi, that is a rebuke of President Donald Trump’s second term alongside boosting funding for public education; for Reid, it’s lowering taxes and regulations for business and keeping transgender girls out of girls’ sports.
In an interview Monday, Hashmi said that her final message to voters was focused on the urgency of electing leaders who would fight against the “chaos of Washington and Donald Trump,” particularly given the government shutdown and the impact of federal workers who are working without pay or were recently fired on Virginia’s economy.
At the same time, looking back on her campaign as it comes to a close, “the most gratifying part to me has been the level of excitement I’ve seen from so many people — but most especially young women and young women of diverse backgrounds,” Hashmi said. “They are excited to know that we are making history, both with Abigail and my election. They see this as opening up a new chapter in Virginia — responding to centuries of bigotry and misogyny. We are demonstrating quite effectively that women are critical and essential leaders.”
Hashmi, 61, was elected to the Virginia legislature in 2019, when she became the first Indian American and first Muslim woman ever elected to the state Senate. A community college administrator, she appealed to the area’s growing immigrant population and managed to flip a hyper-competitive district that was crucial to Democrats’ successful bid to take control of the state Senate.
At the time, Hashmi said she became motivated to run for office by Trump’s travel ban on seven majority-Muslim nations. She said she wanted to prove that she and other members of her faith belong in the United States, despite the message sent by the administration’s policy.
“It’s become an even sharper focus for me that I be able to stand up to the bigotry and the kind of division that Trump initiated in 2016 and that he continues to promote now in his second term,” Hashmi said Monday.
Hashmi was born in Hyderabad, India, and moved to the United States as a child alongside her parents, settling in small-town Georgia where her dad worked in academia. If Hashmi wins her election, she’ll become the second immigrant ever elected to statewide office in Virginia, following Earle-Sears, who was born in Jamaica.
Tuesday night could be a big night for Muslim Americans looking for representation in government: New York City could elect Zohran Mamdani as its first Muslim mayor. Like Hashmi, Mamdani is also of Indian descent.
Mamdani has spoken out against Islamophobia. Following a speech in which he described his aunt’s fear of taking the subway after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Mamdani was mocked on social media by high-profile conservative figures. Vice President JD Vance wrote, “According to Zohran the real victim of 9/11 was his auntie who got some (allegedly) bad looks.”
Hashmi too has faced attacks based on her faith, and sometimes in connection to Mamdani. In a social media post calling Mamdani her “NYC twin,” Reid said Hashmi should be questioned on what parts of his agenda she supports based on “their religious connection.” Reid said Hashmi should be pressed on “what she thinks about Sharia law influencing Virginia law.”
Hashmi pointed to comments by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin during a rally Sunday night. The governor said he wanted Spanberger “to just go home,” but when turning to Hashmi, he said, “I don’t even want her in the state,” according to reports.
Hashmi responded publicly. “I have lived in Virginia for over 30 years; my daughters were born and raised right here in Richmond,” she said on social media. “I am not surprised — but will not be deterred — by the bigotry from our Governor. Ghazala Hashmi is an American name. On Tuesday, we will show him what Virginia stands for.”
Hashmi won the Democratic nomination following a competitive primary that featured other prominent leaders in the state. Polling in the final days of the race gave her and Spanberger a strong advantage over their Republican opponents. (In Virginia, statewide candidates run independent races for public office.)
Hashmi’s opponent, Reid, became the GOP nominee without a formal nominating contest after his only rival withdrew from the race.
Reid, the first out gay candidate of either party for statewide office in Virginia, faced pressure from Youngkin to withdraw from the race over allegations that he shared explicit photos of men from a personal social media account. Reid denied those claims and stayed in the race. He argued in a lengthy video posted to social media that the effort to kick him off the ballot was based on discrimination against his sexual orientation.
Notably, Reid’s running mate, Earle-Sears, has repeatedly expressed her opposition to same-sex marriage, citing her Christian faith. Earlier this year, Earle-Sears wrote that she was “morally opposed” to a bipartisan bill that prohibits people authorized by the state to issue marriage licenses from denying them based on the sex, gender or race of the couples.
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