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Who is Ghazala Hashmi? First Indian-American Muslim to become Virginia Lt Governor
Ghazala Hashmi will be presiding over the Virginia state senate, which is closely divided with the Democrats holding a slim 21-19 seat advantage.
Indian-American Democrat candidate Ghazala Hashmi on Tuesday won the lieutenant governor's race in Virginia, defeating Republican John Reid. Hashmi is the first Indian-American Muslim to hold the post.
As the lieutenant governor, Hashmi will be presiding over the Virginia state senate, which is closely divided at present, with the Democrats holding a slim 21-19 seat advantage. the Associated Press reported.
In case of a tie in the Senate, the lieutenant governor casts their vote. With Hashmi's victory, her seat in the Senate will have to be filled through a special election.
Who is Ghazala Hashmi?
Ghazala Hashmi is at present a state senator representing a district south of Richmond. She entered politics in 2019, wherein she defeated a Republican incumbent and handed a majority to the Democrats in the Virginia legislature for the first time in years. Following this, she won a crowded Democratic primary for lieutenant governor in June, according to AP.
Hashmi, who was born in Hyderabad, emigrated from India to the US with her mother and older brother when she was four years old. The family joined her father in Georgia, where he was completing his PhD in international relations. Following this, Hashmi's father began his university teaching career.
Before entering politics, Hashmi worked as a worked as a college professor in Virginia. With the victory, Hashmi becomes the first Indian-American and first Muslim to not only become Lt Governor, but also win statewide office in Virginia. She is also the first Muslim woman to win a statewide race in US history, according to AFP.
In 2024, she was named Chair of the Senate Education and Health Committee, touted as a crucial leadership post for two key Democrat priorities – reproductive freedom and public education.
Ghazala Hashmi's family
Hashmi has been married to her husband, Azhar Rafiq, for more than three decades, and the couple has two daughters. The family has been residing in Richmond since the early 1990s.
Hashmi married Rafiq in the late 1980s, and the couple relocated to Richmond in 1991 as newlyweds. In Richmond, Hashmi had a nearly 30-year career as a professor of English and literature. She first worked at the University of Richmond and later at Reynolds Community College, where she also founded the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.
