A Virginia state senator asked a court Wednesday to dismiss a lawsuit that challenges her qualification to hold office over what her attorneys called “baseless” allegations that she did not meet the state’s residency requirements.
Democrat Ghazala Hashmi has served in the state Senate since 2020 and handily won reelection earlier this month. She said in a motion and accompanying affidavit that she moved earlier this year from the family home where her husband resides into an apartment in order to reside in the newly redrawn 15th District where she ran, satisfying the requirement that candidates live in their district.
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Contrary to the claims of the lawsuit, which alleged she had not “abandoned” her family home outside the district, Hashmi said the apartment she leased in February quickly became “the center of her personal and professional life.”
Hashmi moved furniture and personal effects into the apartment, began receiving personal packages there, and changed the addresses on her driver’s license, car registrations and voter registration to reflect the address, according to the motion and supporting documentation submitted as exhibits.
She established a home office at the apartment, ate dinners there two to three times a week and hosted “numerous meetings and events” there, including a fundraiser for a fellow candidate at the apartment community’s clubhouse, according to the court filing, which included a copy of an invitation.
Hashmi also submitted copies of maintenance requests for the apartment with Wednesday’s filing.
The lawsuit against Hashmi, the state Board of Elections and Chesterfield registrar was filed by four Chesterfield County residents who live near Hashmi’s family home, which was within the bounds of the district Hashmi first represented. Virginia adopted new legislative maps when the once-a-decade redistricting process ended in December 2021.
The plaintiffs wrote in their lawsuit that Hashmi regularly parked a car overnight at the family home and used the address when making political contributions. They argued Hashmi was not satisfying the residency requirements and was therefore ineligible to serve in the General Assembly, and they asked the court to enjoin the Board of Elections from certifying the election, a process that’s scheduled to take place Monday.
In Wednesday’s filing, Hashmi wrote that she believed the petitioners had surveilled her whereabouts for part of October, when she said she was spending more time than usual at the family home as her husband dealt with medical issues that required her care.
“Since my husband’s health has improved, I have returned to spending nights at the apartment,” she wrote in the affidavit.
The political contributions were made with an account tied to the family home address, an account that’s since been updated, she said.
Controversies over Virginia’s residency requirements are not uncommon — others have bubbled up this cycle — though most do not result in legal challenges.
Reached by phone Wednesday evening, Paul Curley, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said his clients brought the case because they were frustrated with “corruption in politics.”
He said he was still in the process of reviewing Wednesday’s filing. A hearing in the matter is scheduled for Friday morning.
Aaron Mukerjee, one of the attorneys representing Hashmi, said he expected the judge would quickly dismiss the case.
“We are also confident the State Board of Elections will uphold its legal obligation to certify the election for Senator Hashmi, who received over 60% of the vote in her district,” he wrote.
Hashmi, who ousted a Republican incumbent to win election in 2019, defeated Republican Hayden Fisher earlier this month.
Apart from what Hashmi’s attorneys claim are the false factual allegations in the residents’ complaint, Wednesday’s motion also argued that it contains “fatal legal deficiencies.” Among them, according to Hashmi’s attorneys, is that the court where the petition was filed does not have jurisdiction to hear such a post-election challenge.
PHOTOS: Recognize anyone? 30 photos from the Times-Dispatch archives
Powell
This June 1970 image shows Bob Powell at his keyboard, high in the grandstand at Parker Field in Richmond. Powell was the organist for the Richmond Braves baseball team from 1964 to 1971. He made special efforts to get to know all the players and come up with a special melody to suit them.
Agnes
In June 1972, the remnants of Hurricane Agnes brought some of the worst flooding in decades to Richmond, as seen in a watery entrance to Main Street Station downtown. The James River crested at 36.5 feet at the city locks.
Westhampton School
In September 1958, a yard full of bicycles made clear that classes were back in session at Westhampton School. The school dates to 1917; in late 2013, Bon Secours Virginia Health System announced plans to renovate the complex for use as a nursing college and medical imaging school.
Air Raid
In July 1942, Mrs. P.M. Edwards directed a group of women to a shelter during a daylight air raid test in Richmond. She was among the first women to serve as auxiliary wardens during a test.
YMCA
This June 1938 image shows the old YMCA building at Seventh and Grace streets in downtown Richmond. Built in 1908, it was the center of “Y” activities for 30 years. In 1938, it was sold for $300,000, and the YMCA later relocated to West Franklin Street, where it remains. This building was torn down after the sale, and a new one replaced it.
Westhampton
In March 1938, the Westhampton opened on Grove Avenue in Richmond. The newest addition to the Neighborhood Theatres group had one screen and a balcony (which was later converted to a second screen). Admission was 25 cents (20 cents for matinees, and 10 cents for children). Current operator Regal Entertainment Group has announced that the struggling Westhampton will close this year.
Tredegar
In June 1948, Dewey Picklesimer poured molten iron at Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond. Tredegar opened in 1837 and was a major manufacturing center for the Confederacy during the Civil War. It survived the evacuation fire of 1865 and continued as a production facility through most of the 1950s. Today the facility houses the American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar.
Railroads
In November 1940, The Richmond News Leader published a photo essay titled “Working … on the railroad,” which featured laborers on the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway. This image shows motor cars being lifted off the tracks at the end of the day, while the cook in the kitchen car in the background signals that it’s dinnertime.
Restaurants
In June 1943, the restaurant at a Peoples Drug Store in Richmond was bustling. The chain was founded in 1905 in Alexandria, and by 1943, there were six locations in the Richmond area, plus one in Petersburg. Many of them had lunch counters.
Armistice Day
In November 1952, Armistice Day ceremonies were held at the old John Marshall High School in Richmond. Today known as Veterans Day, the 1952 events marked the 34th anniversary of the end of World War I. At John Marshall, the school’s band and color guard took part in the service, and wreaths were placed on two plaques bearing names of former students who gave their lives in the two world wars.
Restaurants
In June 1943, the restaurant at a Peoples Drug Store in Richmond was bustling. The chain was founded in 1905 in Alexandria, and by 1943, there were six locations in the Richmond area, plus one in Petersburg. Many of them had lunch counters.
Red Cross cantten class, 1942
In August 1942, members of the canteen class, sponsored by the Richmond chapter of the American Red Cross, finished their course with a demonstration of mass feeding at the Sauer Co. Among those serving were (from left) Mrs. T.V. Adamson, Mrs. Thomas Cook, Mrs. Keeling Sisson and Mrs. Irving Matthews.
JFK High
This May 1970 image shows the John F. Kennedy High School rifle team marching on East Grace Street in Richmond. Kennedy merged with Armstrong High in 2004, keeping the Armstrong name.
Grace Street
This November 1926 image shows the view down Grace Street, the “Fifth Avenue of Richmond,” near Third Street downtown. Merchants in the district were anticipating a number of large buildings, including a new Loew’s Theatre, for the thriving thoroughfare.
Civil Rights
In January 1959, protesters marched through the rain to the state Capitol in Richmond to support school integration. In the midst of the state’s Massive Resistance to the Brown v. Board of Education ruling, protests were mounting across Virginia. Richmond schools were not integrated until 1970.
Ashe
In January 1971, Richmond native and tennis star Arthur Ashe conducted a clinic at the Valentine Museum in Richmond. The event was sponsored by the museum’s Junior Center and drew 675 youngsters and adults. Ashe, who had just returned from a trip to Africa, answered questions and demonstrated principles of the game.
Sixth Street Market
In September 1948, Beverly Horsley, a Miller & Rhoads fashion model, chose vegetables from a lavish display at the Sixth Street Market as part of Style Marches On, a weeklong celebration of new fall fashion in the downtown Richmond retail district.
Richmond Home for Boys, 1965
In September 1965, Richmond Home for Boys Assistant Director W.H. Gorman (left) chatted with two residents. In the foreground is the bell that had been used for 70 years to summon young residents. The organization was founded in 1846 as the Richmond Male Orphan Society and moved to its current site on West Broad Street in Henrico County in 1957. It is now known as the Virginia Home for Boys and Girls.
Charter Change
In October 1947, as Richmonders headed home from work, Thomas Jefferson High School students distributed literature for the Junior Chamber of Commerce promoting the change to a council-manager type of city government. In the next month’s vote, the issue generated a higher turnout than the 1944 presidential election, and the new charter was approved overwhelmingly.
Arena
In March 1956, a full house at the Arena in Richmond watched the State Group 1 high school basketball tournament. Admission was $1 per game for adults and 50 cents for students. Newport News High School won the tournament.
Cigarettes
This December 1946 image shows a machine at the Philip Morris plant in Richmond that could make as many cigarettes in one minute as a person could hand-roll in one day. Such machines were a key part of the tobacco company’s growth.
Ginter Park
In June 1950, gleeful children left Ginter Park School in Richmond as they were dismissed for the summer months — though they did need to return a few days later for their report cards.
Racing
In May 1958, Bill Shockley of Greenville, S.C., spun out in an eight-lap midget auto heat on the half-mile dirt track at the State Fairgrounds. About 1,800 spectators turned out for the day’s racing, which featured a 25-lap final race.
Spirit of ’76 locomotive
In August 1971, Allison Bell (left) and Pat Umlauf participated in ceremonies in Richmond unveiling the Seaboard Coast Line’s new locomotive. The Spirit of ’76 was set to travel throughout the nation to remind people of America’s upcoming bicentennial celebration.
Fort Lee
In April 1941, the dance floor was full at the newly opened Service Club at Camp Lee in Prince George County. The dance kicked off a series that was to run three times per week, with a different battalion invited each night. About 500 service members and 125 women attended this first dance.
ScrapMetal
In June 1941, Richmond firefighters Charles Donnini (from left), I.A. Butler and W.C. Gilman helped collect aluminum from Richmonders. Scrap metal drives were a popular way to support national defense and war preparation efforts.
WWII
On Dec. 8, 1941, the day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, soldiers and sailors were called to return to their bases. This farewell scene in Richmond was a common one around the nation.
Sixth Street Market
In August 1948, the Buyer’s Resistance Group, mostly made up of housewives, had been organizing a boycott of local meat markets, such as this one at the Sixth Street Market in Richmond, to attempt to bring down prices. This image was taken during a normally busy time for the market, which instead was nearly empty. Similar demonstrations were popping up across the nation.
Virginia State Library reading room, 1977
This February 1977 image shows a reading area at the Virginia State Library. Established in 1823, the library, now known as the Library of Virginia, was housed in the state Capitol or along Capitol Square for more than 150 years – this image was taken in the library’s third location, now known as the Patrick Henry Building. In 1997, the library moved to its fourth and current location at 800 E. Broad St.
Bellwood
This November 1947 image shows hangars used by the National Guard and Army in their military flying program at Byrd Field. That year, the city of Richmond held negotiations with the War Assets Administration for the return of the airport, which had been transformed into the Richmond Army Air Base during World War II. When the field was returned to the city, it was more than 850 acres larger than when the federal government took it over.
