The Ghazala Hashmi racism controversy is back in the spotlight as Virginia’s Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor faces scrutiny over years of smearing her own state’s voters.
During a 2021 interview after Governor Glenn Youngkin’s victory, Hashmi endorsed the view that “the majority of voters in Virginia are racist, or at least susceptible to racist dog whistles.” She called the outcome “very disturbing,” blaming Virginians for inheriting “the results of four years of the Trump administration, an administration that thrived on these kinds of demonization, racist stereotypes, scapegoating of minority communities.”
Her attacks didn’t stop there. In 2022, when Fairfax County parents raised concerns about sexually explicit books in school libraries, Hashmi compared them to fascists: “The very first step of fascism—and I’m going to use that word in the context of history—very first step of fascism is to undermine the education system, to undermine the trust in teachers, and also to begin to systematically remove materials, conversation, discussions around issues the government itself might find offensive.” She later claimed that parents pushing for a rating system were targeting minority and LGBTQ authors.
Hashmi has also branded opposition to DEI programs as bigotry, declaring, “The use of the word or phrase ‘DEI’ is simply another coded language for racism, for misogyny.”
For a candidate who now needs independents and parents to win, these remarks could prove fatal.
