Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield, formally entered the Democratic nomination contest for lieutenant governor on Thursday, calling herself a “progressive champion.”
The 2025 Democratic contest already features four candidates — Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney; Sen. Aaron Rouse, D-Virginia Beach; Dr. Babur Lateef, an eye surgeon and chairman of the Prince William County School Board; and Hashmi.
“If we want to protect our freedoms, stand against hate and build a future that uplifts all of us, including our most vulnerable, we have to always fight for what is right,” Hashmi said in a statement. “When I first ran, I realized that any one of us can make a positive, meaningful difference. We each have a responsibility to raise our voice and stand up against injustice, particularly those injustices that impact our neighbors and our communities.”
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In Virginia, the lieutenant governor presides over the state Senate and may cast tiebreaking votes on most issues. Democrats hold a 21-19 edge in the Senate.
“I’m running because we are just one vote away, in the State Senate, from MAGA extremism overrunning our schools, reproductive health care, gun safety measures, voting rights, and much more,” Hashmi said. “I don’t see this office as a steppingstone; I’m running to solidify the Democratic brick wall as our next Lieutenant Governor. We need an accomplished, progressive Senator to do just that.”
The incumbent, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, a Republican, has not yet said whether she plans to run for governor or seek a second term as lieutenant governor. John Reid, a conservative talk show host on Richmond’s WRVA radio, has said he is exploring a run and might seek the GOP nomination if Earle-Sears runs for governor.
Hashmi spent nearly 30 years as a professor at the University of Richmond and at Reynolds Community College, where she also served as founding director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.
Hashmi and her husband, Azhar, have two adult daughters who graduated from Chesterfield County Public Schools and the University of Virginia.
Hashmi’s initial list of endorsements features nine current members of the House of Delegates, four of them from the Richmond area: Dels. Betsy Carr, D-Richmond; Rae Cousins, D-Richmond; Michael Jones, D-Richmond; and Rodney Willett, D-Henrico.
The Chesterfield senator also listed endorsements from Richmond City Council members Andreas Addison and Stephanie Lynch; Richmond School Board member Kenya Gibson; and Richmond Court Clerk Ed Jewett, as well as from Alexsis Rodgers, political director of the Black Futures Lab and a former Richmond mayoral candidate.
Hashmi also listed endorsements from Chesterfield County Supervisors Mark Miller and Jessica Schneider; Chesterfield School Board members Dot Heffron and Dominique Chatters; and Chesterfield Court Clerk Amanda Pohl.