Democrat Ghazala Hashmi will win the Virginia lieutenant governor’s race and become the nation’s first Muslim woman elected to statewide office, CNN projects.

With control of the Virginia governor’s office and legislature at stake, longtime political analyst Chuck Todd says the state’s next big political battle could come sooner than expected — and it won’t be about policy.

Mr. Youngkin signaled his national ambitions with trips to Iowa and South Carolina earlier this year, but he has said little about his future plans.

His Democratic opponent, Ghazala Hashmi, made history as the first Muslim woman elected to statewide office in the U.S.

Abigail Spanberger, elected as the state’s first female governor, ran on a promise to protect Virginia’s economy from the aggressive tactics of Trump’s second administration, which has culled the civil service, levied tariffs and shepherded a reconciliation bill curtailing the state’s already fragile health care system.

The 2025 governor's race between Spanberger and Earle-Sears offers both parties a chance to start charting a path forward after last year's 2024 presidential election.