Democratic Virginia state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi defeated Republican candidate John Reid on Tuesday to become the next lieutenant governor of Virginia, multiple sources projected.
Hashmi, an Indian immigrant, will become the first Muslim woman ever elected to statewide office in U.S. history after winning 54.9% of the vote to Reid’s 44.9%, with 89% of ballots counted, according to the Associated Press. Reid, a radio host and former political staffer, was vying to become the first openly gay candidate elected statewide in Virginia.
Democratic Virginia gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger and Democratic Virginia Attorney General nominee Jay Jones also won their respective races on Election Day, marking a Democratic sweep for all three of Virginia’s elected statewide executive offices.
“Virginia has chosen leadership that lifts up people instead of tearing them down, and together we have proven that Virginia, in Virginia, a child’s name, a family’s personal struggles and a community’s identity are not barriers to belonging,” Hashmi said in her victory speech.
A left-wing political action committee that purports to be among the largest Muslim political organizations in the U.S. featured Hashmi as one of its “star candidates” for the 2025 election cycle — along with socialist Democratic New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, a fellow Muslim.
Jewish Insider editor-in-chief Josh Kraushaar asked Hashmi on Monday how big of a challenge she thinks antisemitism is in Virginia.
“Well, I think we see growing challenges on so many levels of bigotry, and we have to be united on our efforts,” Hashmi said. “I’m facing a great deal of Islamophobic attacks, as you probably have seen, so we have to respond to everything.”
When Kraushaar pressed the state senator on what she had done “specifically” as a lawmaker to fight antisemitism, she walked away, the journalist noted on X.
(Featured Image Media Credit: Screen Capture/PBS NewsHour)
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