Virginia Elects First Muslim Woman, Ghazala Hashmi, To State Senate

Democrat Ghazala Hashmi ousted Republican Glen Sturtevant on Tuesday, becoming the first Muslim woman elected to the Virginia state senate.

Hashmi immigrated to the U.S. from India as a child and is a former community college professor. She will represent the state’s 10th Senate District, which includes Powhatan County and parts of Chesterfield County and Richmond.

Her campaign focused on gun violence and education, and she went went after Sturtevant for his opposition to Medicaid expansion.

She tweeted celebrating her victory Tuesday night.

“Today we sent a message that the status quo is no longer accepted,” she wrote. “Thank you all for your support and passion in helping me become the next state Senator for Virginia’s 10th District! I couldn’t be more honored to be apart of the change to come for Virginia.”

She continued, “This victory, is not mine alone. It belongs to all of you who believed that we needed to make progressive change here in Virginia, for all of you who felt that you haven’t had a voice and believed in me to be yours in the General Assembly.”

The state legislature has been flipped by the democrats this election, after they fell short in 2017.

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“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,” Hashmi tweeted. “I can’t wait to work together in the state Senate.”

Virginia Democrats also flipped the state House, marking the first time in a generation the party controlled both branches.