Two Palestinian-American women make electoral history in New York and Georgia

Two Palestinian-American candidates, Abeer Kawas and Ruwa Romman, have won seats in the New York and Georgia state senates in Tuesday’s US midterm elections, marking a significant achievement for Palestinian-Americans in legislative institutions and bringing new voices critical of US policies supporting Israel into state politics.

Kawas won a seat in New York State Senate District 12, representing neighbourhoods in the borough of Queens, becoming the first Palestinian woman elected to the state legislature.

In Georgia, Romman won the state Senate seat for District 7, defeating her Republican rival, Aizaz Sheikh, by 22,153 votes to become the first Palestinian-American elected to the Georgia State Senate.

The victories are significant not only because two candidates of Palestinian origin have secured legislative positions, but also because of their backgrounds in community work and political organising and their positions on the Palestinian issue. Both have also campaigned on issues including housing, immigration, social justice and the cost of living.

Abeer Kawas: From community activism to the New York State Senate

Kawas, 34, is a community activist and member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). Born and raised in New York City, she comes from a Palestinian family.

In her campaign biography, she describes herself as the daughter of Palestinian refugees. She says her father’s arrest by US immigration authorities and subsequent deportation when she was young had a profound impact on her life and helped drive her commitment to campaigning for the rights of immigrants and working-class people.