Ghazala Hashmi
Ghazala Hashmi | |
|---|---|
Official Portrait, 2026 | |
| 43rd Lieutenant Governor of Virginia | |
| Assumed office January 17, 2026 | |
| Governor | Abigail Spanberger |
| Preceded by | Winsome Earle-Sears |
| Member of the Virginia Senate | |
| In office January 8, 2020 – January 17, 2026 | |
| Preceded by | Glen Sturtevant |
| Succeeded by | Michael Jones |
| Constituency | 10th district (2020–2024) 15th district (2024–2026) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ghazala Firdous Hashmi July 5, 1964 |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Azhar Rafiq |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Georgia Southern University (BA) Emory University (MA, PhD) |
| Website | Official website Campaign website |
Ghazala Firdous Hashmi (/ɡəˈzɑːlə ˈhɑːʃmi/ gə-ZAHL-ə HASH-mee; born July 5, 1964) is an American politician serving as the 43rd lieutenant governor of Virginia since 2026. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served as a Virginia state senator for the 15th district from 2020 to 2026. She is the first Asian-American and Muslim elected to statewide office in Virginia, along with being the first Muslim woman to win statewide office anywhere in the United States.
Born in India and raised in Georgia, Hashmi earned a PhD in English from Emory University. In 2019, she was elected to the Virginia General Assembly and re-elected in 2023. As the Democratic nominee in the 2025 Virginia lieutenant gubernatorial election, Hashmi defeated Republican John Reid in the general election.