From Hyderabad to History: Ghazala Hashmi Elected Virginia’s First Muslim Woman Lieutenant Governor

Virginia state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi made history Tuesday night as the first Muslim woman ever elected to statewide office in the United States, according to Decision Desk HQ.

Hashmi won Virginia’s lieutenant governor race against Republican John Reid, a former conservative talk radio host, who would have made history himself as the first openly gay Republican elected to statewide office in the country.

The victory represents the culmination of a remarkable American story—one that began 57 years ago when a 4-year-old girl left Hyderabad, India, with her mother and older brother to join her father in small-town Georgia.

An Immigrant’s Journey

Hashmi was born in Hyderabad in 1964, according to biographical accounts. She lived at her maternal grandparents’ home in Malakpet during her childhood. Her maternal grandfather served in the finance department of the Government of Andhra Pradesh.

As a 4-year-old, she emigrated with her mother and older brother from India to the United States, where they joined her father in Georgia just as he was completing his Ph.D. in international relations and beginning his university teaching career.

She grew up in a small town in Georgia where for years hers was the only South Asian family in town. She grew up at a time when public schools were being desegregated, and saw firsthand how communities can be built and dialogue promoted through intentional efforts to bridge cultural, racial and socioeconomic divides, according to campaign materials.

Both her father, Zia Hashmi, and her uncle, Shafik Hashmi, had distinguished careers in Georgia Southern University’s political science department. Both were given the honorary title of professor emeritus when they retired.

“Conversations around politics, national and international affairs and history were a central part of our dinner table discussions,” she said in an interview with the university’s alumni magazine, recalling growing up in Statesboro and attending Marvin Pittman Laboratory School on the Statesboro Campus. “It was a lovely childhood.”

Academic Excellence

The young immigrant excelled academically. She graduated as valedictorian of her high school class and attended Georgia Southern University before earning her Ph.D. in American literature from Emory University.

One of her Georgia Southern professors told the alumni magazine: “I was privileged as director of the Bell Honors Program for 22 years to work closely with and know well an extraordinary group of students as ever graced the campus of Georgia Southern. Even in that stellar group, Ghazala Hashmi stood out.”

Another professor noted in the same publication: “She was a superb student and among the best in her class. I would rank her in the top 1% of students I had in over 33 years of teaching at Georgia Southern.”

Building a Life in Virginia

Hashmi and her husband, Azhar, moved as newlyweds to the Richmond area in 1991, and she spent nearly 30 years as a professor, first teaching at the University of Richmond and then at Reynolds Community College. While at Reynolds, she also served as the founding director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, according to her official biography.

The couple has two adult daughters who both graduated from Chesterfield County Public Schools and the University of Virginia.

For nearly three decades, Hashmi seemed content in academia, focused on teaching literature and helping community college students succeed. But in 2017, everything changed.

A Call to Public Service

Hashmi faced what she called a “moment of crisis” as a Muslim American in interviews following her 2019 election. She said she was troubled by the Trump administration’s travel ban, which blocked refugees and visitors from seven countries—five with Muslim majorities—from entering the United States.

At the time, Hashmi said in media interviews 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.

“I had to wonder whether, after living here nearly fifty years, I had a home anymore—whether I was welcome here,” she said after her 2019 election. “And I had to prove that answer, not just for myself, but for so many people who feel marginalized.”

The 2019 Upset Victory

First elected to office in November 2019, Hashmi won an upset victory over a Republican incumbent, delivering the majority to Democrats for the first time in years and shocking the political establishment.

Hashmi began her career in the Virginia Senate six years ago after ousting incumbent Republican state Sen. Glen Sturtevant. She was reelected to her seat in 2023.

The 61-year-old 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.

The campaign slogan she used resonated deeply: “Ghazala Hashmi is an American name.”

“People, no matter where they came from or who they were or their demographics, that seemed to be a message that they really understood,” she said in media interviews. “America was changing. The face of America was changing. … I could just see the impact on people’s faces. It became a message that really resonated.”

Legislative Accomplishments

As a state senator, Hashmi quickly established herself as a progressive champion. She has served as Senate Education and Health committee chair and has advocated for progressive priorities including reproductive health care, K-12 public education and affordable housing.

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

In 2025, the Senate passed her bill which would block the extradition of health care providers who faced criminal charges in other states for performing medical services that are legal in Virginia—such as abortion and gender-affirming care.

Hashmi also sponsored a bill to end a cap on state-funding for support positions in public schools which would cost $1.1 billion. It passed the Virginia General Assembly, but was vetoed by Youngkin in May. The bill was reintroduced in 2025 but was vetoed by Youngkin again.

The Lieutenant Governor Race

In May 2024, Hashmi announced her campaign for lieutenant governor, saying if elected she would be the first Muslim and Asian American elected to a statewide office in Virginia.

The path to the Democratic nomination was arduous. Hashmi declared victory on primary night in the Democratic primary for Virginia lieutenant governor, leading the six-person race with 27.5% of the vote. The next closest candidate, former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, conceded the race the following morning with 26.7% of the vote. State Sen. Aaron Rouse finished in third with 26.1% of the vote.

The razor-thin margin—less than 1 percentage point—reflected the competitive nature of a crowded field. “Tonight, Virginians made history,” Hashmi said in her primary victory statement. “We didn’t just win a primary, we sent a clear message that we won’t be bullied, broken, or dragged backward by the chaos in Washington.”

The General Election Campaign

Hashmi, 61, and Reid, 54, hewed to party-line platforms and cast the contest as critical to defining Virginia’s policies during President Donald Trump’s term.

“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 in campaign interviews.

The race was not without controversy. During the campaign, Gov. Youngkin faced criticism after questioning Hashmi’s name. Hashmi responded publicly on social media: “I have lived in Virginia for over 30 years; my daughters were born and raised right here in Richmond. 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.”

Tuesday’s results provided that answer, with Hashmi winning the race according to the Associated Press.

Historic Significance

With her election, Hashmi becomes the second immigrant ever elected to statewide office in Virginia, following Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, who was born in Jamaica.

Virginia’s lieutenant governor is elected separately from the governor and has a mostly ceremonial job with two main duties: breaking ties while presiding over the state Senate, and becoming governor if that office is vacated.

But the symbolic importance of Hashmi’s victory extends far beyond Virginia. Tuesday night was historic for Muslim Americans looking for representation in government: New York City elected Zohran Mamdani as its first Muslim mayor. Like Hashmi, Mamdani is also of Indian descent.

“It’s hugely significant. … It is, first of all, really affirming and rooting into our consciousness that these demographic shifts are very much a part of our country and they are here to stay,” Hashmi said in earlier interviews about the significance of representation. “Her background, her experience, her leadership is an indication of the ways in which so many immigrant communities really just are woven throughout the fabric of this country.”

South Asian American Support

Much like in New York, where Indian- and Pakistani-American voters backed Mamdani in the mayoral race, South Asian voters in Virginia also united behind Hashmi.

Hashmi, an Indian Muslim from Hyderabad with family ties to Karachi, has maintained close relations with both the Pakistani- and Indian-American communities. Those links, community leaders say, helped her draw rare across-the-board support. Her campaign’s focus on education, health care and immigrant representation resonated with both South Asian communities, who saw in her a shared story of migration and belonging.

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., endorsed her, saying in a statement: “I am excited to support State Senator Hashmi for lieutenant governor. Ghazala will fight tirelessly for our shared values—women’s reproductive freedom, strong public schools for all children, safe streets without fear of gun violence, and an economy where every family can thrive.”

Campaign Priorities

Hashmi told the Virginia Mercury: “With my six years of experience as a state Senator and nearly 30 years of professional engagement as an educator, I am uniquely qualified to bring significant” experience to the role.

As an experienced educator and advocate of inclusive values and social justice, her legislative priorities include public education, voting rights and the preservation of democracy, reproductive freedom, gun violence prevention, the environment, housing and affordable health care access, according to her campaign platform.

In April 2025, Hashmi stated her support for repealing Virginia’s right-to-work laws.

“I consider many of my colleagues across the aisle to be strong allies in the work to improve education outcomes and economic opportunities for the regions that they serve,” Hashmi told the Virginia Mercury in an earlier interview, in which she framed herself as the most experienced legislator in the race and “uniquely qualified” to lead as lieutenant governor.

As she prepares to take office in January, Hashmi faces the challenge of working with a Republican governor and a divided legislature. But those who know her say she’s built her career on bridging divides and finding common ground—skills honed in that small Georgia town where hers was once the only South Asian family.

A Moment of National Significance

Hashmi’s victory represents more than just one woman’s political achievement. It’s a testament to how far America has come since the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 opened doors for immigrants from non-European countries.

It’s validation for every immigrant child who wondered if someone with their name, their faith, their background could ever hold high office in America.

And it’s proof that 57 years after a 4-year-old girl arrived in Georgia from Hyderabad, the American dream remains alive—not as an abstract promise, but as a lived reality.

This story was aggregated by AI from several news reports and edited by American Kahani’s News Desk. A previous version of the story had some errors and has been revised with corrections.