At 29, Ruwa Romman Makes History In Georgia's Midterm Election
Ruwa Romman has become the first Muslim woman to run for office in Georgia, and also emerged victorious in the primary for Georgia’s 97th State House District.
Ms Romman took to her Twitter handle on Wednesday to inform the public of her victory.
"Good morning! My name is Ruwa Romman, and I’ve just been elected to become Georgia’s first Muslim woman in the state house and first Palestinian ever elected to any public office in the state 🌊💙 #GAPol #Ruwa4Georgia," she tweeted.
In a statement after the elections, Romman expressed her amazement at the results of the polls.
Next year, when Romman wears her hijab as a legislator at the Georgia State Capitol, it will be a first for the state.
“I think my hijab is a symbol to people that anything is possible,” Romman said.
The 29-year-old is the first Muslim woman elected to the Georgia House of Representatives. She claims she overcame Islamophobic attacks during her candidacy for the 97th District seat in Gwinnett County.
“I was exactly who I am,” Romman said. “I was unapologetically myself, and at the same time, there’s more to me than just the fact I’m a Muslim woman.”
Previously, Romman worked as a Field Organizer for the Georgia Muslim Voter Project, where she also held the position of Communications Director for CAIR Georgia. This position gave her hope and the opportunity to dream of a blue Georgia before anyone believed it.
She continued to advocate for community empowerment for over a decade and made efforts to elevate their voices at government levels. Ruwa also sought to establish the first and only Muslim civil rights group in Georgia. She worked to eliminate the Muslim Ban and drafted and introduced the No Ban Act.
Among her other accomplishments, Ruwa helped construct the Georgia Volunteer Hub, which provides training to Georgia's national volunteers. In addition, she helped connect them with various Georgia-based groups.
She also ran for office to bring public service to politics and to promote a prosperous future by advocating for fully-funded education and expanding access to healthcare.
In addition, she sought to narrow the economic opportunity gap and secure the right to vote.
Nevertheless, Ruwa was not the only one to make history on Tuesday.
By winning the 7th District of Gwinnett County, Nabliah Islam became the first Muslim woman elected to the Georgia State Senate.
The 32-year-old Democrat will go to work at the Capitol with a progressive agenda and a hope to fight for a growing Muslim community.
“I’m so excited (for) our Muslim communities. So many communities will have a voice now,” Islam said.
Representative Farooq Mughal and State Senator Sheik Rahman were reelected in Gwinnett County districts.
For the first time in Georgia, a Muslim man and woman will now represent each chamber in the state capitol.
The incoming state senator and representative are both Democrats, the Assembly's minority party. Still, they can't wait to get to work on subjects like education and health care once the new session begins.