Ghazala Hashmi, the Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor, meets voters at the MAPS Global polling place in Richmond, Virginia, on June 17, 2025. Max Posner for The Washington Post/Getty Images

Democrat Ghazala Hashmi will win the Virginia lieutenant governor’s race and become the nation’s first Muslim woman elected to statewide office, CNN projects.

Hashmi will defeat Republican John Reid, a former conservative talk show host and the state’s first gay statewide nominee. As lieutenant governor, she will preside over the state Senate and be able to break ties in the chamber. The role could be crucial because with her seat vacant, Democrats will have a narrow 20-19 advantage with Hashmi leaving the Senate.

A Richmond-area state senator who helped flip the chamber in 2019, Hashmi

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