This story was updated at 5 p.m. on Sept. 29. At least one more Democrat is jumping into the race to be Georgia’s next governor. State Rep. Ruwa Romman, a public policy consultant, once made history as the first Muslim woman to serve in the Georgia House of Representatives and the first Palestinian American to […]
State Rep. Ruwa Romman, a Duluth Democrat, is running to be Georgia’s next governor. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder
This story was updated at 5 p.m. on Sept. 29.
At least one more Democrat is jumping into the race to be Georgia’s next governor.
State Rep. Ruwa Romman, a public policy consultant, once made history as the first Muslim woman to serve in the Georgia House of Representatives and the first Palestinian American to be elected to any public office in the state back in 2022.
Now, the Duluth Democrat is entering the race for the highest state office in Georgia, competing against Democrats like Atlanta state Sen. Jason Esteves, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, former DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond and former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, who was once a Republican.
Romman’s platform includes raising Georgia’s minimum wage, reopening shuttered rural hospitals, ensuring that children have enough to eat, and investing in the state’s small businesses. What sets her apart from the other Democratic candidates, she argues, is her willingness to embrace change and try something different.
“I firmly believe the politics of old aren’t working,” she said in an interview. “The business as usual isn’t working. And if we want to change the power dynamics of our state, we have to do something different.”
Romman, who worked for organizations like the Asian Americans Advancing Justice, the Asian American Advocacy Fund, and the Georgia Muslim Voter Project before running for office, also launched a statewide campaign in July called Project 159 with the goal of recruiting organizers and volunteers in every Georgia county. Republican U.S. Senate candidate and Congressman Mike Collins has launched a similar grassroots effort.
As the Democratic Party of Georgia gears up for the 2026 election cycle, Romman said, she hopes to see the party stick to a set of shared principles, such as advocating for people over corporations.
“We can build a broad coalition while holding on to our values, because they are popular values,” she added. “What Democrats actually believe in are very popular with voters, whether it’s raising the minimum wage, whether it’s expanding Medicaid in our state, whether it’s restoring access to abortions and life-saving care.”
Romman, who is currently the only Palestinian American in the Georgia Legislature, also gained national attention during last year’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago, when she was floated as a potential speaker on behalf of the Uncommitted Movement, which sought an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and an end to U.S. weapons transfers to Israel. The DNC ultimately denied the group’s request for a speaking slot, and Romman delivered her speech at a protest that was held outside the convention. The speech was later published in Rolling Stone.
Throughout her campaign, she said she hopes to carry a message of optimism for voters who are dissatisfied under current political leadership.
“I think right now, the greatest challenge we are having is this pervasive sense of cynicism and nihilism,” she said. “And in order to overcome that, you have to build a vision. You have to work towards big goals.”
While she acknowledges that some may see her bid for governor as a long shot in a Republican-dominated state like Georgia, she argued that an economic-centered campaign can motivate voters to turn out for progressive causes.
“To be clear, yes, this is a state that is predominantly Republican controlled, and has been for over 20 years,” she said. “But I think if you set a high bar, and you build towards a vision, and say, ‘look, let’s work towards this together, let’s build a movement, let’s imagine what’s possible,’ that kind of hope-centered, movement-centered campaign can go a really long way in our state.”
The winner of next May’s Democratic primary will go on to face the Republican nominee in the general election next November. The GOP primary is becoming increasingly crowded too, with Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger recently launching a campaign for governor. Other high-profile Republican candidates include Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and Attorney General Chris Carr.
Correction: An earlier version misstated the timing of Romman’s Project 159 initiative. It was launched in July, before Collins started a similar effort for his U.S. Senate campaign.
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