Ghazala Hashmi, Regina Romero achieve historic firsts in US elections 2019
Last year, the ‘Squad’ made the headlines by winning the congressional elections. The rise of progressive colored women made a deafening impact on the politics of Donald Trump’s America. And this year, two more Democratic women have made it big yet again.
Ghazala Hashmi defeated Republican Senator Glen Sturtevant in the Virginia state elections to become the first Muslim woman to get elected to the state senate. An Indian-American, Ghazala Hashmi is a former community college professor who had migrated to the US as a child and has a Bachelor’s degree and a PhD in English. She will represent Virginia’s 10th Senate District that includes Powhatan County and parts of Chesterfield County and Richmond. This is the first time that Ghazala Hashmi made a campaign for a public office and she turned out to be successful.
Ghazala's campaign
Ghazala Hashmi's campaign was primarily based on the issues of gun violence and education and she has been a supporter of the state’s Democratic Governor Ralph Northam’s universal kindergarten proposals. During the campaign, she targeted Sturtevant over his opposition to Medicaid expansion.
After her win, Ghazala Hashmi tweeted that it was not her exclusive victory but of all those who wanted to see a positive change in Virginia. She said she couldn't wait to work in the state Senate.
Regina Romero is Tucson's first Latina mayor
Regina Romero also made history during the day. She became the first Latina to become the mayor of Tucson. She is also the second Hispanic to be elected mayor of the Arizona city since the Gadsden Purchase of the mid 19th century when Arizona became an American territory. Esteban Ochoa was the first Latino to become the mayor of Tucson in 1875.
Regina Romero defeated independent Ed Ackerley and Green Party candidate Mike Cease comfortably and will replace Jonathan Rothschild who refused to seek a third term. She received more than 56 percent of the total vote.
Regina Romero, who is the director of Latino engagement for the Center for Biological Diversity, is a three-term councilwoman and among the four Democrats who were elected to the Tucson City Council.
“At a time when our national politics have been sown with division, Tucsonans remain united by our shared desire to promote a safe, just and sustainable city that provides economic opportunity for our families and future generations. This movement is open to everyone — whatever your background, whatever your party, whoever you voted for — let’s work together! We will always be one Tucson — somos uno”, Romero said.
Tucson, however, had many Latino mayors when it was still under Mexico’s rule, said Arizona's former Democratic representative Tom Prezelski.