Virginia state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, the Democratic nominee to become the state’s next lieutenant governor, is projected as the winner.

“Decision Desk HQ projects Ghazala Hashmi to win the Virginia Lieutenant Governor election,” Decision Desk HQ stated.

“#DecisionMade: 7:29 pm ET,” it added.

Hashmi is projected to defeat Republican candidate John Reid.

She would become the first Muslim woman elected to a statewide office in United States history with the victory.

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The 19th News wrote:

Hashmi campaigned to become Virginia’s next lieutenant governor in a competitive race against Republican John Reid, a former conservative talk radio host, who would have made history himself as the first openly gay Republican elected to statewide office in the country. Virginia also elected its first woman governor Tuesday in a two-woman contest between former Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger and Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. Spanberger is projected to win.

Both lieutenant governor candidates largely steered clear of the history-making potential of their campaigns, focusing rather on the issues they hoped would animate their respective parties. For Hashmi, that was a rebuke of President Donald Trump’s second term alongside boosting funding for public education; for Reid, it was lowering taxes and regulations for business and keeping transgender girls out of girls’ sports.

The Hill shared more:

Hashmi led Reid throughout the general election, but polling in the race narrowed considerably in the run-up to Election Day.

Hashmi narrowly won her Democratic primary in June, defeating former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney and state Sen. Aaron Rouse.

Hashmi hails from the progressive wing of the Democratic Party and had the support of Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) in the primary.

 

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