Ruwa Romman Explained

Ruwa Romman
State House:Georgia
District:97th
Term Start:January 9, 2023
Predecessor:Beth Moore (redistricting)
Birth Date:14 June 1993
Birth Place:Jordan
Party:Democratic
Education:Oglethorpe University (BA)
Georgetown University (MPP)
Spouse:Shahzaib
Website:

Ruwa Romman (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] [5]

Early life and education

Romman was born in Jordan and moved to the United States when she was 7.[6] Romman attended Oglethorpe University and Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy. She graduated from McCourt with a Master's degree in Public Policy in 2019.

Career

After graduation, Romman worked for Deloitte as a senior consultant. 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..

In January 2022, she announced her candidacy for the Georgia House of Representative in District 97. 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.

During her 2022 campaign, Romman was endorsed by NARAL,[8] Fair Fight, the Georgia Working Families Party, and the Asian-American Advocacy Fund.[9] Romman campaigned on expanding health care access, protecting voting rights, supporting access to abortion and helping working families.

On November 22, 2022, Romman was interviewed by Journalist Peter Biello for Georgia Public Boadcasting.[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]

References

  1. Web site: US midterms: Three Palestinian-Americans win seats . The New Arab . 2022-11-09 . 2022-11-12.
  2. Web site: Elassar . Alaa . 2022-11-13 . Georgia candidate makes history as first known Muslim and Palestinian woman elected to state House CNN Politics . 2022-11-15 . CNN . en.
  3. Web site: Jackson . Mariel . 2022-11-28 . McCourt alumna wins big in Georgia House race . 2022-12-30 . McCourt School of Public Policy . en-US.
  4. News: Salzer . James . GOP lose a few seats, keeps control of Legislature after redistricting . English . The Atlanta Journal-Constitution . 2022-11-09 . 1539-7459.
  5. Web site: Mithani . Jasmine . 2022-12-12 . Why the 2022 election was historic for Muslim women's representation . 2022-12-30 . The 19th . en-us.
  6. Web site: Helfand-Rogers . Candice . May 23, 2022 . Meet the Muslim Woman Running for Office in Georgia to Inspire, Win or Lose . 2022-11-09 . The Story Exchange . en-US.
  7. Web site: May 25, 2022 . Georgia State House – District 97 Democratic Primary Results Detroit Free Press . 2022-11-09 . www.freep.com . en.
  8. Web site: August 30, 2022 . NARAL Pro-Choice Georgia Endorses Charlie Bailey for Lieutenant Governor and Slate of 19 Candidates in Key State Legislative Races . 2022-11-09 . NARAL Pro-Choice America . en-US.
  9. Web site: Ruwa Romman . 2022-11-09 . Asian American Advocacy Fund . September 7, 2022 . en-US.
  10. Web site: Biello . Peter . Ruwa Romman feels 'huge responsibility' as first Muslim woman elected to the Georgia House . 2022-12-30 . Georgia Public Broadcasting . November 22, 2022 . en.
  11. Web site: 2022-12-02 . How Muslim American candidates made history in the midterms . 2022-12-30 . PBS NewsHour . en-us.
  12. Web site: Moore . Rachel . 28 November 2022 . Lawmakers Announce Creation Of The First Formal Legislative Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Caucus In Georgia History – Georgia Senate Press Office . 2022-12-30 . en-US.

External links