Richmond, Virginia, USA: In a significant milestone for the Indian-American community, Ghazala Hashmi, originally from Hyderabad, has been elected as the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, USA. She achieved this position by defeating Republican candidate John Reed, marking another major political success for Indian-origin leaders in the United States.
Currently serving as the Senator for Virginia’s 15th District, Hashmi made history earlier as the first South Asian and the first Muslim woman elected to the Virginia Senate. With her new appointment as Lieutenant Governor, her senatorial seat will now require a re-election.
Hashmi first entered politics in 2019, when she successfully contested against a long-time Republican incumbent to secure a seat in the Virginia General Assembly. Over the next five years, she became a key figure in the state’s Democratic leadership, eventually being appointed as Chair of the Senate Education and Health Committee. Her work has earned her recognition as a strong advocate for education and healthcare reforms in Virginia.
Born in 1964, Ghazala Hashmi spent her early years in Malakpet, Hyderabad, under the care of her grandparents. At the age of four, she moved to the U.S. state of Georgia with her mother and brother to join her father.
Her father, Zia Hashmi, a scholar with an M.A. and L.L.B. from Aligarh Muslim University, later pursued a PhD in International Affairs at the University of South Carolina. He went on to become a professor and retired as the Director of the Centre for International Studies. Her mother, Tanveer Hashmi, completed her B.A. and B.Ed. from Osmania University in Hyderabad.
Hashmi excelled academically, graduating as the valedictorian of her high school before earning a B.A. (Honours) from the University of Georgia and later a PhD in American Literature from Emory University, Atlanta.
She has dedicated nearly three decades to academia, teaching at both the University of Richmond and Reynolds Community College, where she also served as the Founding Director of the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.
Hashmi is married to Azhar Rafiq, and the couple has two daughters.
Her election as Virginia’s Lieutenant Governor marks a new chapter in her career — and stands as a proud moment for the Indian diaspora, especially for those with roots in Hyderabad.
