Ghazala Hashmi becomes first Muslim woman elected to statewide office in the United States

Democrat Ghazala Hashmi has won the lieutenant governor’s race in the US state of Virginia, defeating Republican John Reid and making history as the first Indian American and first Muslim to win statewide office in the state.

The Independent Mirror reports that a former college professor and current state senator, she entered politics in 2019.

Virginia lieutenant governor serves as the presiding officer of the Virginia Senate and is first in line to succeed the governor in the event of death or resignation.

Hashmi’s historic victory comes alongside other milestones in US politics — Zohran Mamdani’s election as New York’s first Muslim and South Asian mayor, and Democrat Abigail Spanberger’s win as Virginia’s first female governor.