May 4, 2024 Newsletter
Dear friends,
This week’s newsletter begins with an exciting announcement: I have officially announced my campaign for Lieutenant Governor. The newsletter also shares select community engagements from this past week, and commemorates Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Thank you for reading and staying informed.
Launching My Campaign for Lieutenant Governor
On Thursday night, with close to 200 friends and supporters, I was delighted to announce my candidacy for the position of Lieutenant Governor (2025).
My statement on the campaign’s launch highlights the reasons why I am running for this office. As we have seen across the country and here in Virginia, the issues of women have taken center stage. For the past several years, the efforts to restrict or remove rights altogether have gathered concerning momentum; wage gaps have widened; young families struggle with limited access to affordable and quality child care; reproductive health care has become an entanglement of laws rather than determined by medical experts; and much more. These are all issues for which I have fought over the course of five sessions. Because the Lieutenant Governor serves as President of the Senate, experience and understanding of the Virginia Senate, the General Assembly, and of state government itself matter. It’s more than just breaking the occasional tie vote – although that tie breaking vote is hugely consequential when majority control is frequently determined by just one seat.
Some of the recent media coverage of my announcement helps to highlight the campaign, issues and priorities, and the work that is ahead of us:
I thank the many supporters and friends who joined us for the campaign launch and those who have reached out from across Virginia and other states with words of encouragement and enthusiasm.
Select Community Engagements
On Monday evening, I joined other elected officials and distinguished guests for the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.®, Pi Rho Omega Chapter’s policy roundtable. During the discussion, we focused on access to housing, gun violence prevention, public education and the Virginia Tiered Systems of Supports (VTSS), and policies to support individuals living with mental health challenges.
On Tuesday evening, my Chief of Staff joined community organizations from across the City of Richmond for Colores de la Comunidad, a community resource fair and cultural festival, at the Richmond High School for the Arts. Over 250 students, parents, guardians, and community members attended the event and learned about services provided through Richmond Public Schools, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies, all while enjoying a soccer game and enjoying food from Taqueria y Antojitos El Chido.
Yesterday afternoon, I joined Delegate Betsy Carr, members of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, and faith leaders from across the Commonwealth for Facts and Faith Fridays (FFF). Established in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Massey Cancer Center’s FFF brings together faith leaders, health care professionals, and policy experts to engage in dialogues on issues impacting our communities. This Friday’s conversation focused on the companion bills that Delegate Carr and I carried: Faith in Housing in the Commonwealth Act (SB 233/HB 1124). This legislation would permit religious organizations to construct affordable housing on property and land owned by the faith community. The purpose of the legislation is to help address the housing crisis that has disproportionately impacted the most economically vulnerable in our communities.
Commemorating AAPI Heritage Month
May commemorates Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, a time to celebrate and uplift our diverse AAPI communities. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are one of the fastest-growing demographic groups in the Commonwealth, with nearly 700,000 Virginia residents identifying as AAPI. At the beginning of the 2024 session, three new AAPI electeds—Senator Saddam Salim, Delegate Kannan Srinivasan, and Delegate Adele McClure—were sworn into office. This brought our Virginia Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus to eight members total, the highest number in the Virginia General Assembly’s over 400 year history.
Throughout May, members of VAAPIC will be hosting community events highlighting our diverse AAPI communities throughout the Commonwealth. Information on events will be shared on VAAPIC’s X, Instagram, and Facebook.
Connecting With My Office
My office can be reached at the following:
Email: SenatorHashmi@senate.virginia.gov
Phone: 804.698.7515
If you were forwarded this email, you can sign up to receive my office’s weekly newsletter here.
— Ghazala
