The dust has finally settled on the lt governor va race, and if you were watching the returns on November 4, 2025, you saw history happen in real-time. It wasn't just a political shift. It was a total restructuring of the Commonwealth's executive branch.
Democratic State Senator Ghazala Hashmi didn't just win; she carved out a 55.65% to 44.09% victory over Republican John Reid. That’s a margin of nearly 400,000 votes. People keep talking about the governor's race—and sure, Abigail Spanberger becoming Virginia’s first female governor is huge—but the Lieutenant Governor’s office is where the "tie-breaker" power sits.
With Hashmi’s win, she becomes the first Asian and Muslim lieutenant governor in Virginia history. Honestly, it’s a massive deal for a state that was a deep red stronghold just a few decades ago.
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Why the 2025 Race Was So Weird
Most folks think these races are just extensions of the presidential cycle. They aren't. Not in Virginia. We are one of only two states that elect governors the year after a presidential election. This year, the lt governor va race felt like a giant thermometer for the whole country's mood.
John Reid, a former WRVA radio host, was trying to do something pretty bold. He would have been Virginia’s first openly gay lieutenant governor. He ran a campaign focused on "leading away from zealotry," basically trying to distance himself from the more extreme social justice warrior tropes while still holding the GOP line on the economy.
But he was swimming upstream.
The money was lopsided. Like, really lopsided. Hashmi's campaign spent over $9 million to get her message out. Reid? He was working with about $1.8 million. It’s hard to win a statewide dogfight when the other side has five times your megaphone.
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The Primary That Almost Broke the Democrats
Before Hashmi could even look at the general election, she had to survive a primary that was basically a three-way tie until the very last second.
- Ghazala Hashmi: 27.5% (136,717 votes)
- Levar Stoney: 26.5% (131,765 votes)
- Aaron Rouse: 26.2% (130,485 votes)
Think about that. The top three candidates were separated by barely one percentage point each. Stoney, the former Richmond mayor, and Rouse, a state senator and former NFL player, both had massive name ID. If 5,000 people had changed their minds in June, we’d be talking about a completely different winner today.
What Actually Moved the Needle?
People always say it's about the "issues," but in Virginia, it’s usually about the "vibes" and the "checkbook."
The economy was the heavy hitter. Exit polls showed nearly 49% of voters cited the economy as their top concern. While 62% of Virginians said they were "holding steady," a solid 24% felt they were falling behind. Hashmi leaned into her background as a 30-year community college educator, talking about workforce development in a way that felt less like a stump speech and more like a lesson plan.
Reid tried to make it about "social justice warrior agendas," but it didn't seem to stick. Maybe because voters were too worried about their grocery bills to care about the latest culture war skirmish.
The Power of the Tie-Breaker
The Lieutenant Governor has one main job: presiding over the State Senate.
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In Virginia, the Senate is often split down the middle or very close to it. The LG casts the deciding vote. Because Democrats also held onto the House of Delegates and Spanberger won the Governor's mansion, Hashmi is now the final insurance policy for a "trifecta."
This means the "veto pen" barrier that stalled things like medical aid-in-dying or certain climate initiatives is basically gone. It’s a clear runway for the Democratic agenda starting in January 2026.
What’s Next for Virginia?
If you're wondering when these folks actually start working, the inauguration is set for January 17, 2026.
Expect the first 100 days to be a whirlwind of housing reform and infrastructure talk. Spanberger and Hashmi campaigned hard on "affordability," and now they have the legislative math to actually do something about it.
If you want to stay ahead of how this affects your local taxes or schools, keep an eye on the General Assembly session that kicks off right after the swearing-in. You can track specific bills and how Hashmi presides over the Senate through the Virginia Legislative Information System (LIS). Also, make sure your voter registration is up to date for the 2026 midterms—the deadlines usually sneak up fast, often as early as May for June primaries.