"Daughter of an Immigrant": Ghazala Hashmi Becomes First Muslim Woman Elected to Statewide Office in US History

Democratic State Senator Ghazala Hashmi has won the election for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, making history as the first Muslim woman to win a statewide office in the history of the United States.

Victory Details and Election Race

• Final Result: Hashmi defeated her Republican opponent, the conservative talk show host John Reid, maintaining her lead throughout the general election campaign despite a noticeable narrowing of the polls in the final days.

• Pivotal Role: Virginia is one of 17 US states where the Lieutenant Governor is elected separately from the Governor. This post is seen as a key platform for a gubernatorial run, as Virginia governors are barred from serving consecutive terms.

• Campaign: Hashmi won the Democratic primary nomination last June. She campaigned alongside gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger and Attorney General candidate Jay Jones (who later faced criticism over violent text messages, which Hashmi condemned but did not demand his withdrawal).

• Ignoring Attacks: Hashmi largely ignored the attacks from her Republican opponent, who accused her of dodging debates, prompting Reid to take the unprecedented step in October of debating an AI-generated avatar representing her.

Ghazala Hashmi's Career and Background

• Origins and Start: Ghazala Hashmi is the first Muslim and Indian-American woman elected to the Virginia State Senate in 2019. She unseated an incumbent Republican, helping Democrats gain a majority.

• Political Motivation: At the time, she stated that the travel ban imposed by the Trump administration on citizens from Muslim-majority countries was one of the reasons that motivated her to enter politics.

• Personal Background: Hashmi first arrived in the US fifty years ago, immigrating with her family from India at the age of five. She has dedicated her life in America to focusing on minority issues.