Georgia state Rep. Ruwa Romman, who spoke on behalf of Palestinians at the 2024 DNC, announced Monday that she’s running for governor in 2026, calling for a stronger progressive vision and increased voter organizing.
She is at least the eighth Democrat in the race, joining former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, former Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond, GOP-turned-Democrat Geoff Duncan, former state Senator Jason Esteves, and state Representative Derrick Jackson.
Romman, the first Muslim woman elected to Georgia’s General Assembly, won her Gwinnett County seat in 2022. Her platform includes raising the minimum wage, reopening hospitals, and forcing corporations to divest single-family homes. She pledges “a new kind of politics” with a forward-looking vision to draw voters.
“For far too long, people have been too cautious or too willing to compromise with special interests and large corporations, and it’s left too many people behind,” Romman said. She warns that caution means Democrats won’t be energized to vote in 2026, and that many could remain home instead of heading to the polls.
Born in Jordan and the granddaughter of Palestinian refugees, Romman was slated to speak at the convention but was never given the chance, instead releasing remarks endorsing Harris and urging a ceasefire, release of hostages, and a path to peace. An observant Muslim who wears a headscarf, she claims her Palestinian heritage is not a liability.
“My identity is a positive because you know that because of my background, I am not going to back down from a fight,” she said. “I have seen oppression firsthand.”
Romman backed Zohran Mamdani’s New York mayoral bid, praising its face-to-face organizing as a model for mobilizing voters. Georgia Democrats, who are aligned with Stacey Abrams, share this belief, although it has yet to deliver a lasting majority.
“We actually have the power to be able to put our state and to put our country on a different path — it just requires all of us to show up,” Romman said. “And when we want people to show up, we have to give them something tangible to show up for.”
“I am as Georgia as they come” – Rep. Ruwa Romman launches bid for GA governor pic.twitter.com/ejX1m3Iit1
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) September 30, 2025
