Democrat state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi became the new lieutenant governor of Virginia on Saturday, taking the oath of office as she placed her left hand on the Quran. In video footage posted on social media, Hashmi was seen being instructed to place her left hand on the Quran and to raise her right hand. Hashmi defeated radio host John Reid in Virginia’s election in November 2025. As Breitbart News’s Hannah Knudsen reported, during the campaign Reid “identified himself as someone who has ‘very strong principles,'” while Hashmi “appealed to her status as a diverse candidate.”: