RICHMOND, Va. β Virginia voters made history Tuesday by electing the commonwealth's first female governor and first person of the Muslim faith to statewide office.
Abigail Spanberger was elected as Virginia's first female governor, while Ghazala Hashmi won her election as lieutenant governor.
"I think the election of both of these women as chief executives of their state helps us dispel this myth that women running, particularly for high level executive positions, might not get voter support," Debbie Walsh, who works with the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, said. "There's diversity among those women, right? So there will be different experiences that each of them are going to be bringing to the table."
Hashmi called her win a tremendous honor.
"It's one that I frankly could not have imagined a few decades ago," Hashmi said. "I may be the first, but I certainly will not be the last, and that is a sign of how broad and diverse and inclusive Virginia, as well as this country can be."
Spanberger and Hashmi will be sworn into office on January 17.
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