Ghazala Hashmi wins Democratic nomination for Virginia lieutenant governor

The candidates for Virginia’s lieutenant governor are set to make history after state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi won the Democratic nomination for the office on Wednesday.

The candidates for Virginia’s lieutenant governor are set to make history after state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi won the Democratic nomination for the office on Wednesday. Hashmi is the first Muslim and the first Indian-American to be nominated for a Virginia statewide office. She defeated five other candidates, including Democrats Levar Stoney and Aaron Rouse, in a razor-thin primary race. Hashmi will now face Republican John Reid, the first out gay man to receive a major party’s endorsement for statewide office in Virginia, who became the de-facto nominee after his primary opponent left the race. Her victory rounded out the Democratic ticket ahead of the November general election. It comes after former Virginia delegate Jay Jones became the party nominee for attorney general late Tuesday. Virginia’s off-year elections typically draw national attention ahead of the 2026 midterms. Democrats held down-ballot races for their statewide ticket, which is being led by Abigail Spanberger, the party’s nominee for governor. The former congresswoman, whose candidacy managed to avoid prospective primary challengers, will go up against Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the only person to qualify for the GOP primary.