The official role of the lieutenant governor is to preside over the state Senate and vote to break ties – it’s also a great stepping stone to the Governor’s mansion. Six candidates are competing to be the Democratic nominee for Virginia’s lieutenant governor. They include retired attorney Alex Bastani, state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, Prince William County School Board Chair Babur Lateef, state Sen. Aaron Rouse, former prosecutor Victor Salgado and former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney.
The primary winner will face Republican nominee John Reid in November.
To save you time in evaluating the Democrat candidates, we’ve gathered information from a variety of reputable sources.
Alex Bastani, age 61
Alex Bastani is a retired attorney/federal worker, holds a Juris doctor degree from George Mason University and is the former President, American Federation of Government Employees Local 12, AFL-CIO 2006-17. He has raised $134,137 to fund his campaign.
He sees himself as “the Bernie Sanders candidate for this particular race,” running on a platform of raising the state’s minimum wage to $20 an hour, providing universal healthcare, making state colleges tuition-free and ending Virginia’s status as a right-to-work state.
Website: www.progressivevirginiansforalexbastani.com
Funds Raised: $134,137
Ghazala Hashmi, age 60
Ghazala Hashmi is a state Senator, Senate of Virginia District 15 (2019-Present) and holds a Doctoral degree in American literature from Emory University; Bachelor of arts with honors from Georgia Southern University.
She represents Chesterfield County, where she flipped a Republican district that helped Democrats gain control of the Senate. Hashmi, an immigrant and Virginia’s first Muslim state senator, is currently the head of the Senate Education and Health committee and sponsored legislation to create a right to contraception in Virginia, which Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed. She calls herself a “progressive champion” and emphasizes access to reproductive health in her platform.
Website: ghazalaforvirginia.com
Funds Raised: $1,056,688
Babur Lateef, age 53
Lateef is the Chair of the Prince William County School Board and owner and physician, Advanced Opthalmology. He has also served as chairman of the University of Virginia Health System Board. He holds a Doctor of medicine from Northeast Ohio College of Medicine; Youngstown State University.
Lateef’s aggressive energy and sustainability initiatives have been recognized by the United States Department of Agriculture’s prestigious Green Ribbon Award, one of very few districts in the nation to achieve this award. They have just broken ground on their first ever net zero elementary school and helped develop the statewide pilot program for electric buses. Lateef is the only candidate from the most Democratic part of the state, Northern Virginia, where much of the primary votes are located.
Website: lateefforva.com
Funds Raised: $970,265
Aaron Rouse, age 41
Rouse is a Virginia state senator and retired NFL player. He holds a Bachelor’s in sociology from Virginia Tech and was previously elected to the Virginia Beach City Council.
Rouse represents Virginia Beach, where he won a special election in 2023 flipping a red seat to blue, and becoming the deciding vote to protect abortion rights in Virginia. He serves the chair of the Privileges and Elections committee and wants to prioritize career training programs, middle class tax cuts, access to critical health, mental health, disability and veterans’ services.
Website: rouseforvirginia.com
Funds Raised: $1,185,215
Victor Salgado, age 45
Salgado is the former senior litigation counsel in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. He holds a B.S. in economics from George Washington University and a Juris doctor from University of Wisconsin Law School.
Salgado touts a track record of “prosecuting public corruption and related misconduct at all levels,” including his role in prosecuting Joe Arpaio, the former sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, and former U.S. Rep. George Santos. The New Jersey-born son of Peruvian immigrants, Salgado is making his first run for elected office and his platform focuses promoting small- and medium-sized businesses and tax reform to adequately fund public services.
Website: www.victorforvirginia.com
Funds Raised: $203,998
Levar Stoney, age 44
Stoney is the former two-term Richmond mayor (2015-2025) and former Secretary of the Commonwealth. He is currently self-employed as a consultant. He holds a Bachelor’s in political science and public administration from James Madison University.
Stoney has been commended for positive changes in Richmond – poverty decreased, incomes went up and confederate monuments were removed under his leadership. He prioritizes making VA the best state for business and workers, strengthening our schools, increasing access to affordable housing and protecting choice over healthcare decisions.
Website: levarstoney.com
Funds Raised: $1,404,977
Want to learn more about the candidates?
Check out each candidate’s website and social media accounts to learn more about who they are and what they prioritize. You can also see more comparisons in the articles referenced below.
N4C does not endorse candidates before the primary election – we believe in providing you with the information to make an informed choice.
Take Action
- Learn about the candidates, mark your calendar and VOTE
- The Primary Election is June 17th.
- Early/Absentee voting runs Friday May 2nd – June 14th. For locations and hours see the Henrico County Government website.
Learn More
- This article 6 Virginia Democrats run for election in crowded lieutenant governor primary published by the Virginia Pilot details each candidate’s answers to questions about Federal workforce cuts, Access to Contraception and Tax Reform
- This piece Who’s running to be Virginia’s lieutenant governor in 2025? published by VPM provides a profile on each candidate.
- Virginia Public Access Project publishes candidate campaign finance information.
- This article from the Washington Post, Virginia’s 2025 primary election: A guide on voting and key races to watch gives an overview of all the key Virginia primary races.
