Ruwa Romman becomes first Palestinian-American elected to Georgia State Senate

Democratic politician Ruwa Romman has become the first Palestinian-American elected to the Georgia State Senate after defeating Republican candidate Ayaz Sheikh in the race for the state’s 7^th District.

According to the reported election results, Romman secured approximately 66 percent of the vote, compared with 34 percent for Sheikh, marking her transition from the Georgia House of Representatives to the State Senate.

Romman first entered Georgia politics in 2022, when she won election to the state House of Representatives for the 97^th District, becoming the first Muslim woman and first Palestinian-American elected to the Georgia legislature.

She was reelected in 2024 before pursuing a seat in the State Senate in 2026.

Born in Amman, Jordan, Romman is the granddaughter of Palestinian refugees and moved to Georgia with her family at the age of eight. Her Palestinian heritage has remained an important part of her political identity and public advocacy.

Romman gained national attention during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August 2024, when the National Uncommitted Movement selected her to deliver a speech addressing the war in Gaza, calls for a ceasefire and demands to halt US weapons transfers to Israel.

Convention organizers declined to allow her to address delegates, prompting criticism and protests from members and supporters of the movement.

Romman has publicly criticized Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, describing it as genocide, and has opposed continued unconditional US military assistance to Israel.

She has also advocated Palestinian self-determination and challenged stereotypes associating Palestinian identity with terrorism.

In September 2025, Romman announced her candidacy for governor of Georgia in the 2026 elections. She subsequently withdrew from the gubernatorial race and shifted her focus to the State Senate contest.

After securing the Democratic nomination in a primary runoff with 60.1% of the vote, she defeated Sheikh in the general election.

Her victory marks another milestone in Palestinian-American political representation in Georgia, following her historic election to the state legislature in 2022.