ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia state House member who advocated for Palestinians at the 2024 Democratic National Convention is entering the state’s race for governor.
Ruwa Romman announced her 2026 bid for governor on Monday, saying Democrats need a clearer progressive vision and greater focus on organizing voters.
She’s at least the eighth Democrat to seek the office. Other candidates include former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, former state Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond, Republican-turned-Democrat Geoff Duncan, former state Sen. Jason Esteves and state. Rep. Derrick Jackson.
Romman, 32, is the first Muslim woman elected to Georgia’s General Assembly, winning a state House in 2022 in suburban Atlanta’s Gwinnett County. Among her goals are to raise Georgia’s minimum wage, reopen closed hospitals and force corporations to divest single-family houses they have purchased. She promises “a new kind of politics” that offers a “vision for the future” that will attract 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 excited to vote in 2026 and that many could stay home.
