Ghazala Hashmi becomes first Muslim and Indian American to win statewide office in Virginia

Big night for Democrats sees victories across US

Ghazala Hashmi, 61, was born in Hyderabad in 1964 and her family moved to the US when she was four. AP

Democrat Ghazala Hashmi won the lieutenant governor’s race in Virginia on Tuesday, defeating Republican John Reid and becoming the first Indian American and first Muslim to win statewide office in Virginia.

Her victory was one of several Democratic triumphs across the country, dealing a blow to President Donald Trump less than a year after the Republican took office. In New York City, democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani comfortably won the mayor's race.

Also in Virginia, Democrat Abigail Spanberger secured the governor’s race, defeating Republican Winsome Earle-Sears in a key victory heading into the 2026 midterm elections and make history as the state's first female leader. She will succeed outgoing Republican governor Glenn Youngkin.

Who is Rama Duwaji, the Syrian-American illustrator married to Zohran Mamdani?

Read More

In New Jersey, Democratic Representative Mikie Sherrill was forecast to win that state's governor's race.

The positive results for Democrats mark a turnaround for the party that has been sidelined since Republicans took control of the White House and Congress in January.

The party is still trying to calibrate its messaging and whether it wants to be centrist or left wing. Tuesday's wins despite lacking a cohesive national message serve as a warning for Mr Trump, who has failed to deliver the economic turnaround he promised on the campaign trail.

Ms Hashmi, 61, is currently a state senator representing a district south of Richmond. Before that, she worked as a college professor in Virginia. She was born in Hyderabad in 1964 and her family moved to the US when she was four.

She entered politics in 2019 by flipping a Republican-held state Senate seat and went to on to win a crowded Democratic primary for lieutenant governor in June.