Virginia state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi on Tuesday became the first Muslim American woman elected to statewide office in the U.S. with her victory in the lieutenant governor's race, NBC News projects.
Her historic victory comes the same night former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, whom NBC News projects as the winner in the governor's race, became the first woman elected governor in the state.
In a victory speech Tuesday night, Hashmi thanked her supporters and told them, "Together, we have carved a new historic path."
Hashmi, an immigrant, added later in her speech, "My own journey from a young child landing at the airport in Savannah to now being elected as the first Muslim woman to achieve statewide office — the first Muslim woman to achieve statewide office not just in Virginia, but in the entire country ... was possible because of the depth and the breadth of the opportunities made available in this country and in this commonwealth."
In is the second time Hashmi has made history in an election; in 2019 she was the first Muslim American woman elected to Virginia's Legislature. Since then, she has served in the statehouse representing a district southwest of Washington, D.C.
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Last month, Hashmi told The Washington Post that she hoped voters would send a message showing that they're "not divided" on "lines of bigotry."
“We’re really showing the rest of the country that Virginia is in a position where we embrace diversity,” she said.
Spanberger and Hashmi, both Democrats, ran alongside other members of their party seeking statewide office, but governors and lieutenant governors are elected separately in the state.
Virginia's lieutenant governor holds few official responsibilities, but the person can serve as a crucial tie-breaker in the state Senate and is first in line to succeed the governor in the case of death or resignation.
Several lieutenant governors in the state have used the position as a launching pad for gubernatorial campaigns, including Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the Republican nominee for governor this year.
“Lieutenant Governor-elect Hashmi ran a brilliantly focused campaign all about lowering costs, growing Virginia’s economy, and ensuring our kids have access to high-quality child care and education," Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said in a statement.
