Democrat Ghazala Hashmi pulled off an upset victory to unseat her challenger, Republican incumbent Glen Sturtevant, to win the race for Virginia State Senate District 10, making her the first Muslim woman to be elected to the state’s upper chamber.
Hashmi, who emigrated to the U.S. from India as a child, is a former community college professor who made gun violence and education her primary campaign issues. She is a vocal supporter of Democrat’s Gov. Ralph Northam’s universal pre-kindergarten proposal.
“We did it Virginia. We did it,” Hashmi wrote on social media late Tuesday evening. “I’m so very pleased and so very humbled to accept this tremendous honor and this tremendous, remarkable responsibility of serving as your state senator.
“After flipping the Senate, I’ll have Democrats by my side to fight to protect Virginians from the climate crisis and senseless gun violence, and work to expand our access to affordable health care and funding for public education. I can’t wait to work together in the state Senate,” Hashmi continued.
“This victory is not mine alone. It belongs to all of you who believed that we need to make progressive change here in Virginia,” she added.
Hashmi’s district includes parts of Richmond, Chesterfield County, and Powhatan County.
Her victory comes as Virginia Democrats take control of the statehouse for the first time in 26 years.