Photo courtesy of Hashmi campaign
Ghazala Hashmi
This story has been updated to reflect the latest information from the Virginia Department of Elections.
Virginia voters came out to choose their Democratic nominees Tuesday for lieutenant governor and attorney general.
In the lieutenant governor's race Richmond state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, the lone woman in the race, declared victory with 27.40% of the vote. She led a tight race ahead of former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney who received 26.65% of the vote and Virginia Beach state Sen. Aaron Rouse, who got 26.32% of the vote in the primary battle.
Rouse conceded the race Tuesday night and Stoney conceded Wednesday morning.
The Levar Stoney for Lt. Governor campaign announced their concession and congratulated nominee State Senator Ghazala Hashmi.
Stoney said, “I’m incredibly proud of the campaign we ran and the many Virginians who supported our efforts to fight for a fair shot for all Virginians. Unfortunately, in this primary we came up a little short. But the fight for a fair Virginia continues. I ask all my supporters to rally behind Senator Hashmi and the entire Democratic ticket so we can continue the fight back against the Trump administration and complicit Republicans like Glenn Youngkin, Winsome Sears, and John Reid.”
Claiming victory Tuesday night, Hashmi said: “Today, we’ve made history yet again, not just by winning this primary, but by declaring with one voice that Virginia is not going to be bullied or broken or dragged backwards by the chaos that’s unfolding in Washington,” Hashmi said Tuesday night, addressing a group of about 50 supporters at a condo complex’s clubhouse in Richmond, The Virginian-Pilot reported.
Hashmi will be up against GOP nominee John Reid on the ballot on Nov. 4. Reid would be Virginia's first gay lieutenant governor if elected.
Ghazala Hashmi currently serves as a member of the Virginia State Senate, representing District 15, and made history as the first Muslim and first South Asian American elected to Virginia's Senate. Prior to her political career, Hashmi was an educator and academic administrator for 25 years. Her campaign for Lieutenant Governor focuses on issues such as reproductive freedom, gun violence prevention, fully funded public education, and defending voting rights.
Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell congratulated Hashmi on securing the Democratic nomination: "I extend my warmest congratulations to my colleague and friend, Senator Ghazala Hashmi, on earning the Democratic nomination for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia.
Since her historic election in 2019 that flipped a Republican seat and delivered us a Blue Majority in the State Senate, Senator Hashmi has been a steadfast champion for public education, equality, and civil rights. She brings thoughtfulness, integrity, and a deep commitment to service to everything she does. Her leadership in the Senate has helped shape a more inclusive and forward-looking Virginia.
Ghazala’s story is a powerful reminder of what’s possible in our Commonwealth. As Lieutenant Governor, she will continue to be a strong voice for working families and a tireless advocate for the values that unite us.
I’m proud to stand with her in this next chapter and look forward to working alongside her to move Virginia forward. Congratulations, Senator Hashmi—let’s win this together in November!"
Attorney General
Jerrauld C. "Jay" Jones won the primary for attorney general and is now the Democratic nominee in the upcoming November general election after taking 244,099 votes or 51% of the votes across the Commonwealth. He beat Shannon Taylor, who currently serves as the Commonwealth's Attorney for Henrico County, a position she has held since 2012. She earned 234,564 votes or 49% vote.
Photo courtesy of Jay Jones campaign
Jay Jones
A former delegate for Norfolk in the House of Delegates, Jones previously served as an Assistant Attorney General for Washington, D.C., focusing on consumer protection. His campaign emphasizes protecting Virginians against perceived overreach from the Trump administration, holding corporations accountable for high costs, strengthening civil and constitutional rights, and ensuring a fair justice system. He advocates for a more robust consumer protection unit and the creation of a dedicated Civil Rights Division within the Attorney General's office. Jones comes from a family with a long history in Virginia politics and public service, with both his father and grandfather serving as influential figures in Hampton Roads.
Taylor said Tuesday night in her concession statement:
"While this isn’t the outcome we hoped for, I’m incredibly proud of the campaign we built and deeply grateful to my family, my team, and the supporters who believed in our vision for a Virginia where the Attorney General defends our rights and freedoms—not threatens them.
To everyone who knocked doors, chipped in, and stood with us: thank you. You powered this campaign and the astonishing momentum behind it, and I will never forget it.
Though we fell short tonight, make no mistake: the fight is far from over. We must unite behind our Democratic ticket: Abigail Spanberger, Ghazala Hashmi, and Jay Jones, to defeat the extremism of Jason Miyares and Donald Trump. Virginia deserves leadership that protects our freedoms and keeps our families safe, not chaos and extremist attempts to erode legal protections and dismantle the rule of law.
I remain committed to that fight. This campaign may be over, but our movement is not. Together, I know we’ll keep building a brighter future for every Virginia family."
Surovell released the following statement congratulating Jones:
“I want to offer my sincere congratulations to Jay Jones on winning the Democratic nomination for Attorney General. Jay represents the future of leadership in Virginia—bold, principled, and unafraid to challenge the status quo. As a delegate, he led on criminal justice reform and consumer protection and carried Virginia's first community solar bill with me which has now independently powered thousands of homes in affordable housing communities. He’s never wavered in his commitment to fairness, equity, and progress.
Jay brings a powerful combination of legal expertise, legislative experience, and deep personal conviction to this race. As Attorney General, I know he will fight every day to defend Virginians’ rights, uphold the rule of law, and ensure justice is truly equal for all. I’m proud to support Jay and excited to work with him to build a safer, fairer, and more just Commonwealth.”
In November, Jones will face Attorney General Jason Miyares, a Republican, on the ballot.
Miyares is the current Attorney General of Virginia, a position he has held since January 2022. A Republican, he made history as the first Hispanic American elected to a statewide office in Virginia. Prior to becoming Attorney General, Miyares served three terms in the Virginia House of Delegates and also worked as a prosecutor in the Virginia Beach Commonwealth's Attorney Office. His priorities as Attorney General include combating violent crime, addressing the opioid and fentanyl crisis, protecting consumers, and defending constitutional rights. He is seeking re-election in the upcoming November 2025 election.
The Democratic nominees will run with Abigail Spanberger at the top of the ticket. Spanberger is a former intelligence officer who served as the U.S. Representative for Virginia's 7th congressional district from 2019 to 2025. She gained national attention for flipping a historically Republican district in 2018. Prior to her time in Congress, Spanberger had a career in public service, including working as a federal law enforcement officer with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and as a case officer for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), where she focused on counterterrorism and non-proliferation. She is campaigning on strengthening public schools, making Virginia more affordable, ensuring community safety, and protecting reproductive rights.
Spanberger is up against Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears who secured the nomination unopposed after other potential challengers failed to gather enough signatures to qualify for the ballot. Earle-Sears, who made history as the first female and Black Republican elected to statewide office in Virginia when she became Lieutenant Governor in 2021, is campaigning to continue the conservative policies of the current governor, Glenn Youngkin, focusing on economic issues like lower taxes, stronger schools, and safer communities. If elected, she would also be the first Black female governor in U.S. history.
In the lieutenant governor race, the three top vote-getters out of a crowded field Tuesday night were Ghazala Hashmi, Levar Stoney and Aaron Rouse.
Ghazala Hashmi currently serves as a member of the Virginia State Senate, representing District 15, and made history as the first Muslim and first South Asian American elected to Virginia's Senate. Prior to her political career, Hashmi was an educator and academic administrator for 25 years. Her campaign for Lieutenant Governor focuses on issues such as reproductive freedom, gun violence prevention, fully funded public education, and defending voting rights.
Stoney served as mayor of Richmond from 2017 to 2025 and previously served as secretary of the Commonwealth from 2014 to 2016, the youngest member of Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s administration. Stoney served as the 80th mayor of Richmond and was instrumental in restoring voting rights for disenfranchised Virginians. As Mayor, Stoney oversaw significant investments in public schools, affordable housing, and economic development, and notably led the removal of Confederate monuments in Richmond. His platform for Lieutenant Governor emphasizes expanding economic opportunity, defending federal workers, strengthening public schools, increasing access to affordable housing, and protecting reproductive freedom. He highlights his executive experience at both the local and state levels as a key differentiator in the race.
Aaron Rouse is a Democratic politician and former professional football player who currently serves in the Virginia State Senate, representing District 22. Before his time in the Senate, he was an at-large member of the Virginia Beach City Council. Rouse gained significant attention when he won a special election in January 2023, flipping a historically Republican State Senate seat to Democratic control and becoming a key vote for protecting abortion rights in Virginia. He is campaigning on issues such as making housing more affordable, providing tax relief, reducing healthcare costs, and investing in education.
Voting breakdown in Lieutenant Governor Democratic Primary in Alexandria
Here's how Alexandrians voted for each candidate (see voting breakdown by precinct here.)
Alexandria: 4,605 or 30.67%
Alexandria: 4,466 or 29.75%
Alexandria: 2,678 or 17.84%
Alexandria: 1,211 or 8.07%
Alexandria: 1,083 or 7.21%
Alexandria: 971
Attorney General Democratic Primary voting breakdown
Shannon Taylor won all but four of Alexandria's 32 precincts.
(See Alexandria voting by precinct here.)
-Henrico County Commonwealth's Attorney Shannon Taylor
Alexandria: 8,506 or 56.73%
-Jay Jones Jerrauld C. "Jay" Jones
Alexandria: 6,487 or 43.27%
