Ghazala Hashmi wins Democratic nomination for Virginia lieutenant governor

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The candidates for Virginia’s lieutenant governor are set to make history after Sen. Ghazala Hashmi won the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor on Wednesday.

Hashmi is the first Muslim and the first Indian-American to be nominated to appear on the ballot for a Virginia statewide office. She defeated five other candidates, including Democrats Levar Stoney and Aaron Rouse, to secure the nomination in a razor-thin primary race.

Hashmi will now face Republican John Reid, the first openly gay man to receive a major party’s endorsement for statewide office in Virginia, who became the de-facto nominee after his primary opponent left the race.

Her victory rounded out the Democratic ticket ahead of the November general election. It comes after former Del. Jay Jones became the party nominee for attorney general late Tuesday.

Virginia’s off-year elections typically draw national attention as a possible bellwether for politicians as they head into midterms in 2026.

Democrats held down-ballot races for their statewide ticket, which is being led by U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, the party’s nominee for governor. The former congresswoman, whose candidacy managed to avoid prospective primary challengers, will go up against Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the only person to qualify for the GOP primary.

Conservatives did not hold statewide primaries this year, with only one candidate in each statewide contest advancing to the general election ballot.

Earle-Sears became the Republican gubernatorial nominee after conservatives Dave LaRock and Amanda Chase failed to collect enough signatures to qualify for the ballot. Both LaRock and Chase initially challenged Earle-Sears for not being fully aligned with the White House.

Reid, a conservative talk-radio host, secured the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor despite intraparty quarreling over whether he was tied to a social media account reposting pornography, a charge he vehemently denied.

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares sailed to his spot on the ballot after announcing his reelection bid.

Hashmi’s political career has been marked by its fair share of firsts: she was the first Muslim woman and the first South Asian American in Virginia’s upper chamber.

She emigrated from India to Georgia when she was four years old, later moving to Richmond after getting a doctorate in American literature. She spent most of her career as a professor, first at the University of Richmond and then at Reynolds Community College.

The Democrat managed to distinguish herself by touting her legislative chops. Hashmi began her career in the Virginia Senate six years ago after ousting incumbent Republican Sen. Glen Sturtevant. She was reelected to her seat in 2023.

In the Senate, Hashmi put forth bills establishing Virginians’ right to contraception, which passed both chambers but were vetoed by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

___

Olivia Diaz is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.