Rep. Ruwa Romman has worked hard on behalf of fellow Georgians since assuming her seat in the State House in 2023. Now, she wants to do so as the state’s next governor.
The 32-year-old Jordanian immigrant descended of Palestinian refugees made history as the first Muslim woman ever elected to the Peach State’s assembly when she won her first campaign in 2022. She’s kept busy ever since, introducing legislation to promote gun safety and codify protections for immigrants and students with disabilities, among other measures.
Romman has also advocated for those living well outside state lines, garnering national headlines when she lobbied to speak at the 2024 Democratic National Convention on behalf of the Uncommitted Movement, a group that advocated for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the U.S. providing military aid to Israel.
When she was denied a speaking slot, she delivered the speech outside of the convention hall.
“I will not go looking for a fight – but I will never back down from one,” she told The Story Exchange during our most recent conversation. A philosophy instilled in her from a young age – moving to Georgia as a young immigrant child, and enduring bullying for her differences in her formative years, informs her work to this day.
And it’s the attitude she’s taking into her next chapter. This past Labor Day, Romman decided to vie for the seat occupied by Gov. Brian Kemp, the Republican who first won against Stacey Abrams in a highly contested 2018 election. Since taking office, Kemp has enacted strict abortion prohibition laws, expanded gun access and rewritten the state’s voting legislation – the sort of restrictive policies Romman would see reversed, if elected.
Her decision to run came with its own national headlines – especially after far-right political activist Laura Loomer attacked her candidacy because of her identity. “This is completely un-American,” Loomer posted on social media. “America has been invaded by Muslims.”
As promised, Romman did not back down from that fight, either. “Laura, I know that having principles seems like a foreign concept for someone like you who’ll eat dog food for money, but my selling point isn’t just my identity,” she replied in her own post. “It’s my record of fighting for those who our government keeps selling out to corporations and special interests.”
That said, her campaign is more about coalition-building than quick barbs. In discussing her campaign’s philosophy – and her plans to build a thriving network of volunteers throughout all of Georgia’s 159 counties – she pointed to another Muslim up-and-comer: New York State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, who is running to be mayor of New York City. She says his success in bringing people together comes, first and foremost, from the fact that “people are looking for elected officials who are willing to stand up for something, to say something tangible.”
“We’re not gonna get every single policy we’re trying to pursue,” she notes. “But also, what if we did? And, shouldn’t we try?”
Before facing a Republican contender, however, Romman will have to emerge victorious in a crowded Democratic primary that includes former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. If she’s successful, her potential GOP opponents – as Kemp has reached his term limit – include Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and Attorney General Chris Carr
If she wins, Romman has several significant goals that she’d start on as soon as she’s sworn in. High on her list of priorities is raising Georgia’s minimum wage, which now sits at $5.15 per hour, several dollars short of the federal minimum. She called that pay rate “draconian,” adding that it’s “not even a living wage – it’s a starvation wage.” (Experts at MIT estimate that an actual living wage in Georgia would, indeed, be closer to $24.)
Another critical issue on Romman’s list? Healthcare access. “In Georgia, we have not expanded Medicaid, because the governor doesn’t want to.” Rural hospitals are shutting down because of the revenue loss – and with recent cuts, “we’re going to see a lot more of that.” For this, she has a specific proposal, inspired by similar work in California: To take advantage of the state’s great bond rating by selling them off and using the profits to re-open hospitals and invest in medical research.
Feeding hungry children is another major focal point for Romman. In 2023, Kemp vetoed a bipartisan-backed measure to secure free and lower-cost meals for school kids, while that same year spending $10 million to buy Israeli bonds to support its military campaign against Palestine. “These sorts of priorities go to show that, when the time comes, Georgia Republicans refuse to spend money on us. But their corporate and political interests? No problem.”
The problems facing Georgians are significant because of this, Romman says. “I’m not a ‘toxic positivity’ kind of person. I will not be telling people that everything is fine and great.” But, she added, “we really are more powerful than we’re led to believe” – especially when voters focus their energy on down-ballot races.
“There’s a lot of attention paid to the president, and Congress – and yes, it’s very important. But the states are often forgotten,” and to our collective detriment, she adds. But the more we begin to engage locally, the greater difference we can make.
“Each of us has the capacity to change the trajectory of our country for the better.” ◼️
