Ghazala Hashmi
Ghazala Hashmi | |
|---|---|
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| Member of the Virginia Senate | |
| Assumed office January 8, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Glen Sturtevant |
| Constituency | 10th district (2020–2024) 15th district (since 2024) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ghazala Firdous Hashmi July 5, 1964 Hyderabad, India |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Azhar Rafiq [1] |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Georgia Southern University (BA) Emory University (MA, PhD) |
| Website | Senate website |
Ghazala Firdous Hashmi (born July 5, 1964) is an Indian-born American politician and former academic administrator and educator. A Democrat, Hashmi represents the 15th district in the Senate of Virginia. She worked as an educator and academic administrator for 25 years before running for office.
Early life and education
[edit]Hashmi was born in Hyderabad, India, in 1964 to Tanveer and Zia Hashmi. She lived at her maternal grandparents' home in Malakpet during her childhood. Her maternal grandfather served in the finance department of the Government of Andhra Pradesh. Her family moved to the United States in 1969.[2][3]
Hashmi completed a B.A. in English at Georgia Southern University. She earned a Ph.D. in English from Emory University.[4] Her 1992 dissertation was titled William Carlos Williams and the American ground of "In the American Grain" and "Paterson."[5] Peter Dowell was her doctoral advisor.[5]
Career
[edit]Hashmi was an educator and academic administrator for 25 years.[2] She was a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Richmond and a Professor at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College. At J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, she served as the founding director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.[2]
In the 2019 Virginia Senate election, Hashmi won Virginia's 10th Senate district, defeating incumbent Republican Glen Sturtevant. She is the first woman to represent the district and the first Muslim elected to the Senate of Virginia.[6] She was officially sworn into office on January 8, 2020.[7][8][9] In November 2023, she was re-elected to the Senate of Virginia in Senate District 15.
In May 2024, Hashmi announced her run for the 2025 Virginia lieutenant gubernatorial election; if elected she would be the first Muslim and South Asian holding a statewide office in Virginia.[10]
Personal life
[edit]Hashmi moved to Richmond in 1991 with her husband. They have two daughters.[2] Hashmi resides in Richmond, Virginia.
Electoral history
[edit]2019 election
[edit]| Date | Election | Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Senate, 10th district | |||||
| November 5, 2019[11] | General | Glen H. Sturtevant Jr. | Republican | 36,811 | 45.60 |
| Ghazala Hashmi | Democratic | 43,806 | 54.30 | ||
| Write Ins | 49 | 0.01 | |||
| Democratic gain from Republican | |||||
2023 election
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ghazala Hashmi (incumbent) | 33,253 | 62.16% | |
| Republican | Hayden Fisher | 20,042 | 37.46% | |
| Write-in | 202 | 0.38% | ||
| Total votes | 53,494 | 100.00% | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
References
[edit]- ^ "Senate of Virginia".
- ^ a b c d Hashmi, Rasia (November 7, 2019). "Senator Ghazala Hashmi is 'deeply attached' to Hyderabad". The Siasat Daily. Archived from the original on November 8, 2019. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
- ^ Budryk, Zack (November 5, 2019). "Ghazala Hashmi becomes first Muslim woman elected to Virginia's state senate". The Hill. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
- ^ "Indian American Ghazala Hashmi wins Democratic nomination from Virginia's 10th Senate District". The American Bazaar. June 13, 2019. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
- ^ a b Hashmi, Ghazala Firdous (1992). William Carlos Williams and the American ground of In the American grain and Paterson (Ph.D. thesis). Emory University. OCLC 29824251.
- ^ Mirshahi, Dean (November 6, 2019). "Democrat Ghazala Hashmi wins 10th Senate District race". 8News. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
- ^ Suderman, Alan; Rankin, Sarah (January 8, 2020). "Newly empowered Virginia Democrats promise action". Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 9, 2020.
- ^ "Newly-Empowered Virginia Democrats Promise Action | Voice of America – English". www.voanews.com. January 8, 2020.
- ^ "Asombra diversidad étnica de nueva Legislatura de Virginia" [Ethnic diversity in new Virginia Legislature amazes]. Houston Chronicle (in Spanish). January 8, 2020. Archived from the original on January 8, 2020.
- ^ "VA Sen. Ghazala Hashmi Launches Her Campaign for the 2025 Democratic Nomination for Lt. Governor; Exclusive Blue Virginia Interview". Blue Virginia. May 2, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
- ^ "Virginia State Senate District 10". Ballotpedia. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
- ^ "Member, Senate of Virginia (15th District)". Virginia Department of Elections. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
External links
[edit]- Official website
- Profile at Vote Smart
- Ghazala Hashmi at the Virginia Public Access Project
- Living people
- Georgia Southern University alumni
- Emory University alumni
- American academic administrators
- American women academic administrators
- Indian emigrants to the United States
- American politicians of Indian descent
- Asian American and Pacific Islander state legislators in Virginia
- Democratic Party Virginia state senators
- 20th-century American educators
- 21st-century American educators
- 21st-century American women politicians
- Women state legislators in Virginia
- Muslims from Virginia
- Academics from Virginia
- American women academics
- Politicians from Hyderabad, India
- Women educators from Telangana
- 20th-century American women educators
- 1964 births
- 21st-century American women educators
- 21st-century members of the Virginia General Assembly