Democrat Ghazala Hashmi won the race for lieutenant governor in Virginia, United States, on Tuesday, defeating John Reid. Ghazala is the first Indian American and first Muslim to win statewide office in Virginia.Hashmi is a former college professor who won the nomination after prevailing in a crowded Democratic primary in June.As lieutenant governor, Hashmi will preside over a closely divided Virginia State Senate, where Democrats currently hold a slim lead of 21 to 19 seats. The lieutenant governor votes when there is a tie in the Senate. Hashmi’s victory also means that his Senate seat will have to be filled in a special election.Meanwhile, former Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger defeated Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, who was outraged by the Democrat and failed to win President Donald Trump’s endorsement.Virginia was one of two states, along with New Jersey, where voters elected a governor on Tuesday. Voters were also selecting a new mayor in New York City, and in California they were deciding whether to approve a new congressional map designed to help Democrats gain five more seats in the U.S. House of Representatives in next year’s midterm elections.Who is Ghazala Hashmi?Hashmi is the first Muslim woman and first South Asian American elected to the Virginia State Senate. He was born in Hyderabad and moved to the United States at age 4, settling in Georgia with his family.Hashmi has a doctorate in American literature and spent most of her professional life as a professor. He taught at the University of Richmond and then at Reynolds Community College before entering politics.In 2019, he entered the Virginia Senate by defeating Republican Glen Sturtevant in a closely watched race. She was re-elected in 2023. In the Senate she defended reproductive rights. One of his key bills aimed to protect Virginians’ access to contraception. The bill passed both chambers but was vetoed by Governor Glenn Youngkin.