Ghazala Hashmi (D) and John Reid (R) are running in the general election for lieutenant governor of Virginia on Nov. 4, 2025. Incumbent Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R) is running for governor of Virginia instead of re-election.
WAMU’s Margaret Barthel wrote, “Virginia’s lieutenant governor has few official powers. The role presides over the state senate and can break a tie if the body is evenly split on a vote. The position also serves on a variety of state boards and commissions, and pays a salary of just over $36,000. But because Virginia governors can’t serve consecutive terms, the lieutenant governor post is often seen as a political stepping stone to a future bid for governor.”
According to Randolph-Macon College’s Rich Meagher, the tie-breaking vote is important in the chamber: “If you have a senator who feels uncomfortable about an issue, or have a controversial issue that you feel like it’s gonna be really hard to get your entire majority to vote for, it’s nice to have a little bit of an extra cushion.” Democrats have a 21-19 majority in the Virginia Senate.
Hashmi represents District 15 in the state Senate. She was first elected to the chamber in 2019, when she defeated incumbent state Sen. Glen Sturtevant (R) 54% to 46%. Hashmi previously worked as a community college educator for 30 years.
Hashmi said she is running because “Virginia needs an executive team, inclusive of a strong Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General, that is not only ready to respond effectively to the Trump administration but also ready to chart the next four years of policy that will effectively cast Virginia as an exemplar for other states.” Hashmi’s priorities include funding public education and lowering the cost of post-secondary education, ensuring access to affordable health care, and improving housing affordability.
Reid hosted the radio program, Richmond Morning News, from 2017 to 2025. He previously worked as a television news anchor and investigative reporter in Richmond, Virginia, for 10 years. Reid has also worked in communication roles for U.S. Sen. George Allen (R-Va.) and the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA).
On the election, Reid said, “I left a successful job and career and a decent paycheck to pursue this job and this leadership opportunity. This is not about money or celebrity status or power or future politics for me, it’s about leading away from zealotry and social justice warrior agendas and making reasonable and responsible and fair decisions so that free citizens can manage their own lives as they see fit.” Reid’s priorities include improving public safety, advocating for lower taxes and deregulation, and opposing any attempt to repeal the state’s right-to-work law.
Virginia is one of 17 states where the lieutenant governor is elected separately from the governor. According to George Mason University’s Mark Rozell, “With separate balloting, the potential exists for candidates from opposite political parties serving together in the state’s two top offices.”
From 1969 to 2021, Virginia voters elected candidates from opposite political parties to serve as lieutenant governor and governor five times. The most recent instance was in 2005, when voters elected Tim Kaine (D) as governor and Bill Bolling (R) as lieutenant governor.