Video Editor: Ashutosh Bhardwaj
Dr Ghazala Hashmi becomes the first Muslim woman to serve in the Virginia State Senate in the United States with her win in the Senate Elections on Tuesday, 5 November.
Democrat Hashmi's victory over Republican Glen Sturtevant comes as a huge win for Democrats, giving them a majority in both the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate for the first time in almost 25 years. Her first-time candidature didn’t seem to affect her victory’s chances against the GOP incumbent Sturtevant.
Ghazala, who was born in Hyderabad in India, moved to the US 50 years ago and decided to run for State Senate District 10 because she wants to change the way marginalised communities are seen and heard.
Before winning the election, she served as the Founding Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Reynolds Community College in Richmond.
As an experienced educator and advocate, her campaigning and plans pivoted around issues such as improvement of public education, implementation of gun safety reforms, women’s reproductive rights, comprehensive healthcare and protecting the natural beauty of the Commonwealth among others.
State Senate District 10 includes portions of Chesterfield County and the City of Richmond plus all of Powhatan County.
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