The Virginia Senate could lose its majority after the discovery that one of its winners may have lied about residence in her district.
Ghazala Hashmi could be ruled ineligible over the issue in the state's upper chamber that is currently held by a slim Democratic majority of 21 to 19.
Virginia Dems Could Lose Control of State Senate Because Member May Have Lied About Residencehttps://t.co/FYXjzsUNhm
— #ThePersistence (@ScottPresler) November 12, 2023
"Virginia Senate candidates are required to live in the district they are run
ning for, and Hashmi filed candidacy paperwork saying she lived in an apartment on Boulder Lake Drive in North Chesterfield in Senate District 15," the Daily Wire reported.
"But four neighbors filed a complaint saying she actually lives outside the district on Bosham Lane in Midlothian, and they provided a spreadsheet saying they had driven by the house 62 times during the month of October to document her residency. The notes include her car being there late at night and early in the morning, and her leaving the house shortly after 8 a.m. It also includes photographic evidence," it added.
Meet Ghazala Hashmi, the first Muslim woman elected to Virginia’s state Senate. https://t.co/QkP7AMQnto
— CNBC Make It (@CNBCMakeIt) November 10, 2019
In 2019, Hashmi became the "first Muslim woman elected to Virginia’s state Senate," according to CNBC News.
"Hashmi, a Democrat who ran for public office for the first time, unseated Republican state Sen. Glen Sturtevant on Tuesday to represent the state’s 10th Senate District," it continued.
Virginia Democrats sweep legislative elections, delivering a blow Gov. Glenn Youngkin's plan for a GOP trifecta https://t.co/EBWIgyCWqr
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) November 8, 2023
"Virginia Democrats who campaigned on protecting abortion rights swept Tuesday's legislative elections, retaking full control of the General Assembly after two years of divided power," CBS News reported.
"The outcome is a sharp loss for Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who exerted a great deal of energy, money and political capital on an effort to secure a GOP trifecta," it continued.
Youngkin will now have to deal with the election controversy that has been sparked by Hashmi's residency issue.
The situation could lead to Hashmi being ruled ineligible and a new senator selected. If a Republic won the open seat, the Senate would be tied, with Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears responsible for casting any needed tie-breaking votes.
The controversy is an important one, with much more to come over the revelation concerning Hashmi's residency.
