Indian American Virginia state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi and Democratic Party’s candidate for lieutenant governor rolled out her first ad of the general election Monday, vowing to keep fighting for Virginia workers.
“Virginia workers know nobody is working harder for them. As lieutenant governor, I will continue my fight to increase wages, protect affordable health care, and create opportunities for all families to thrive,” she posted on X releasing the ad.
Highlighting her experienced as a mother and educator, the ad, titled “Educator,” is a part of a six-figure ad buy that is airing in media markets across the commonwealth, the Hill reported.
Ghazala fought for guys like me, expanding apprenticeships and technical training,” said one worker who was featured in the 30-second ad. “So we can get good paying jobs, whether you go to college or not.”
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Hashmi is running against former conservative talk show host John Reid for lieutenant governor. Most polls show Hashmi running ahead of Reid. A poll released by Virginia Commonwealth University earlier this month showed Hashmi leading Reid by 4 points.
Born in Hyderabad, India, Hashmi made history in 2019 as the first Muslim and first South Asian American elected to the Virginia Senate
Hashmi who came to the United States at the age of four graduated from Georgia Southern University, and received a PhD in American literature from Emory University.
Hashmi and her husband, Azhar, have lived in the Richmond area since 1991. She spent nearly three decades teaching, first at the University of Richmond and later at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College.
Hashmi was elected in 2019 to represent Virginia’s 15th Senate District, which covers much of Chesterfield County.
The ad’s release comes as Virginia’s Democratic ticket has been rocked by text messages sent by the party’s attorney general nominee Jay Jones in 2022 talking about violence directed toward former Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert (R), according to the Hill .
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Hashmi and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger were quick to condemn the text messages following their release Friday.
“I have been very clear that political violence has no place in our country, and I condemn it at every turn,” Hashmi said. “Jay must take accountability for the pain his words have caused. We must demand better of our leaders and of each other.”
Coverage over the texts has quickly turned into a national story with President Donald Trump and Vice President J D Vance calling on Jones to drop out of the race.
Jones has given no indication he will end his campaign, but he has since apologized for the texts.
“I am so deeply, deeply sorry for what I said, and I wish that it hadn’t happened, and I would take it back if I could,” Jones was quoted as saying by the Hill.