Ghazala Hashmi (5 July 1964-) was a Democratic Virginia State Senator from the 10th district from 13 January 2020 to 2024 (succeeding Glen Sturtevant) and Lieutenant Governor of Virginia from 17 January 2026 (succeeding Winsome Sears).
Biography[]
Ghazala Hashmi immigrated to the United States from India in 1969, and she and her husband moved to the Richmond, Virginia area in 1991; their daughters were born in Midlothian. She spent 25 years working in Virginia's college and university system (including working as an English professor at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College), and she became an experienced educator and advocate. She supported improving public education, implementing common-sense gun safety reforms, and protecting the natural beauty of Virginia, and she ran for the 10th district of the Virginia State Senate in 2019. On 5 November 2019, she became the first Muslim woman elected to the Virginia Senate, defeating Glen Sturtevant 54.31% to 45.63%. In 2025, she was elected Lieutenant Governor amid a "blue wave" in Virginia.