NORFOLK, Va. — History was going to be made either way in the race for Virginia's lieutenant governor, as voters went to the polls to decide to elect either the state's first openly gay statewide candidate or the first Muslim American woman.

Preliminary results show that Hashmi is projected to win on Tuesday night, leading Reid 55% to 45%.

Hashmi, the Democratic candidate and a state senator, will become the first Muslim American woman in one of Virginia's highest offices.

First elected in 2019 to the Virginia Senate, Hashmi rose to become Virginia Chair of the Senate Education and Health Committee in 2024.

Before this, Hashmi served as an educator for nearly 30 years at the University of Richmond and Reynolds Community College. Hashmi said her voting record speaks for itself, prot

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