Ruwa Romman (Arabic: رؤى رمان, born June 14, 1993) is a Palestinian–American politician serving as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives for the 97th district.[1][2][3] A Democrat, she is the first Muslim woman elected to the body.[4][1][3][5]
Ruwa Romman | |
|---|---|
رؤى رمان | |
| Member of the Georgia House of Representatives from the 97th district | |
| Assumed office January 9, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Beth Moore (redistricting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 14, 1993 Jordan |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Shahzaib Jiwani |
| Education | Oglethorpe University (BA) Georgetown University (MPP) |
| Website | Campaign website |
Early life and education
editRomman was born in Jordan and moved to the United States when she was 7.[6][7] Romman attended Oglethorpe University and Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy.[6] She graduated from McCourt with a Master's degree in Public Policy in 2019.[3]
Career
editAfter graduation, Romman worked for Deloitte as a senior consultant.[6] She has been involved in local politics and civic engagement groups since 2014 and co-founded the Georgia Volunteer Hub in 2020, which trained thousands of volunteers to support the Georgia Senate Runoff election.[2][3]
In January 2022, she announced her candidacy for the Georgia House of Representative in District 97.[3] On May 24, 2022, Romman won the Democratic primary against JT Wu.[7] On November 8, 2022, Romman won the general election, making her the first Muslim woman to be elected into the Georgia State House of Representatives.[4][1]
During her 2022 campaign, Romman was endorsed by NARAL,[8] Fair Fight,[6] the Georgia Working Families Party,[6] and the Asian-American Advocacy Fund.[6][9] Romman campaigned on expanding health care access, protecting voting rights, supporting access to abortion and helping working families.[2]
On November 22, 2022, Romman was interviewed by Journalist Peter Biello for Georgia Public Broadcasting.[10] In December 2022, Romman was interviewed by Geoff Bennett for a PBS NewsHour segment titled "How Muslim American candidates made history in the midterms."[11]
Since November 2022, Romman is part of Georgia's first formal "Legislative Asian American Pacific Islander Caucus."[12]
In August 2024, Romman was one of three Arab-American names put forward by the Uncommitted National Movement to speak at the 2024 Democratic National Convention. Upon refusal, the Uncommitted delegates staged a sit-in protest outside the doors of United Center and inside the security perimeter and stayed overnight before the last day of the convention.[13] None of the names put forward were allowed to speak.[14]
On November 5, 2024, Romman won re-election in Georgia State House of Representatives for House District 97.[15]
References
edit- ^ a b c "US midterms: Three Palestinian-Americans win seats". The New Arab. November 9, 2022. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
- ^ a b c Elassar, Alaa (November 13, 2022). "Georgia candidate makes history as first known Muslim and Palestinian woman elected to state House | CNN Politics". CNN. Archived from the original on November 15, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Jackson, Mariel (November 28, 2022). "McCourt alumna wins big in Georgia House race". McCourt School of Public Policy. Archived from the original on December 30, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
- ^ a b Salzer, James. "GOP lose a few seats, keeps control of Legislature after redistricting". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ISSN 1539-7459. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
- ^ Mithani, Jasmine (December 12, 2022). "Why the 2022 election was historic for Muslim women's representation". The 19th. Archived from the original on December 30, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f Helfand-Rogers, Candice (May 23, 2022). "Meet the Muslim Woman Running for Office in Georgia to Inspire, Win or Lose". The Story Exchange. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
- ^ a b "Georgia State House – District 97 Democratic Primary Results | Detroit Free Press". www.freep.com. May 25, 2022. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
- ^ "NARAL Pro-Choice Georgia Endorses Charlie Bailey for Lieutenant Governor and Slate of 19 Candidates in Key State Legislative Races". NARAL Pro-Choice America. August 30, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
- ^ "Ruwa Romman". Asian American Advocacy Fund. September 7, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
- ^ Biello, Peter (November 22, 2022). "Ruwa Romman feels 'huge responsibility' as first Muslim woman elected to the Georgia House". Georgia Public Broadcasting. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
- ^ "How Muslim American candidates made history in the midterms". PBS NewsHour. December 2, 2022. Archived from the original on December 30, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
- ^ Moore, Rachel (November 28, 2022). "Lawmakers Announce Creation Of The First Formal Legislative Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Caucus In Georgia History – Georgia Senate Press Office". Archived from the original on December 30, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
- ^ Freishtat, Sarah; Stevens, Olivia; Yin, Alice (August 21, 2024). "Despite backing from Mayor Brandon Johnson and other Illinois pols, effort to put Palestinian American speaker on DNC stage fails". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on August 23, 2024. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
- ^ Lanard, Noah. "Exclusive: Here is the speech the Uncommitted movement wants to give at the DNC". Mother Jones. Archived from the original on August 23, 2024. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
- ^ "2024 GA State House General Election Results". USA Today. November 7, 2024. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
External links
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