Abigail Spanberger makes history as Virginia’s first woman governor
by Shawn Nowlin
Roanoke Sheriff Antonio Hash and Delegate Sam Rasoul outright won their races on Tuesday night, defeating their respective challengers by a more than 2-to-1 margin.
According to the unofficial election results from the Virginia Department of Elections, Hash garnered nearly 67 percent of the vote over Republican James Creasy. Still to be counted are provisional and late mail-in ballots.
A proud Star City native, Hash worked in the Roanoke City Sheriff’s Office for 16 years. Prior to being elected for his first term as sheriff in 2021, he served as a deputy and school resource officer.
His campaign focused on mental health and providing the community with more resources. During his first term, Hash implemented the Residents Individually Growing and Intentionally Through Education (RIGNITE), a program in the adult detention center that offers education programming to residents in custody.
Retiring in August as a sergeant in the office to focus on his campaign, Creasy prioritized hiring and reintegrating the sheriff’s office into the community.
Hash says he’s grateful for every person who voted for him to serve another four-year term.
“I am deeply humbled and grateful for the outpouring of support from this community. Thank you for standing behind me and re-electing me to serve another term as your Sheriff. I must take a moment to thank my mother for her unwavering prayers, love and encouragement,” he said. “To the members of my agency who freely gave of their time and effort throughout this journey, I am truly grateful.”
Since 2014, Rasoul, an American-born Palestinian, has served in the state House. Representing one of the bluest districts in the Commonwealth, as of Wednesday morning, Rasoul won 15 of 17 precincts, garnering nearly 70 percent of the vote over opponent Maynard Keller, a registered Independent.
The “People’s Platform” that he campaigned on includes lowering health care costs, raising teacher pay to the national average, limiting special interests and supporting a Green New Deal.
Rasoul was unable to be reached for comment before deadline.
Virginia Democrats didn’t just have a good night on Tuesday; they enjoyed a complete Blue Wave, including moving from 51 to 64 seats in the House of Delegates.
House District 41, which encompasses the college town of Blacksburg and nearby Montgomery and Roanoke counties, voted for Democrat Lily Franklin over Del. Chris Obenshain, R-Montgomery, by a 51.1 to 48.7 percent margin.
Once the results were announced, Franklin sent out a press release thanking her supporters.
“I’m deeply honored by the trust the people of the 41st District have placed in me. Folks are ready for new leadership. They’re tired of their electricity bills skyrocketing, tired of working 2-3 jobs to make ends meet, tired of electing politicians that care more about power than the people who elected them,” she said.
History was bound to happen as either Democratic candidate and former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger or current Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears was going to become the first woman to win Virginia’s governor race. Earle-Sears’ approach of emphasizing trans children playing sports did not resonate with voters. Not receiving an endorsement from President Trump didn’t help matters either.
Spanberger’s unofficial number of 1,961,990 accounted for roughly 57 percent of the total votes.
“Tonight, we sent a message. A message to our neighbors and fellow Americans across the country. We sent a message to the whole world that in 2025, Virginia chose pragmatism over partisanship,” Spanberger said once her projected victory was announced. “You guys chose leadership that will focus on what matters most – lowering costs, keeping our communities safe and strengthening our economy for every Virginian.”
Ghazala Hashmi defeated Republican John Reid to become the state’s next lieutenant governor. The first-ever Muslim woman elected to statewide office, the former state lawmaker flipped her Richmond area state-senate seat blue in 2019.
“Tonight, together, we have carved a new, historic path. We have pointed our compass in a direction that guides us to the future, while also building out our roots on our collective embrace of decency, dignity and dedication,” she said in her victory speech.
Minutes later, after defeating incumbent Jason Miyares, Attorney General-elect Jay Jones said, “To everyone who knocked on doors, who helped get out the vote, who donated their time and effort, to everyone who didn’t give up on this campaign, I say thank you.”
Also elected after running unopposed this year were Roanoke Commissioner of Revenue Ryan LaFountain, Commonwealth’s Attorney John McNeil and Treasurer Tasha Burkett.
In a statement on social media former President Barack Obama wrote “Congratulations to all the Virginia Democratic candidates who won. It’s a reminder that when we come together around strong, forward-looking leaders who care about the issues that matter, we can win. We’ve still got plenty of work to do, but the future looks brighter.”
