Washington- In an American state that has been under Republican control for more than two decades, a representative in the Georgia House of Representatives, Rawa Rumman – the first Muslim woman to be elected in the state’s history – is running in an exceptional race for the position of governor.
Rumman, who has Palestinian roots and was born in Jordan, is trying to present a new model of political leadership in the American South, based – according to her campaign – on social justice and a bold stance on global issues, most notably the Palestinian issue.
In this interview, Rawa Rumman talks to Al Jazeera Net about the motives for her candidacy, and her position on the Democratic Party, especially after she was prevented from giving her speech at the party’s national conference last year. She also reviews the features of her economic and social program, and how she faces the challenges of identity and discrimination in a swing state like Georgia.
Below is the text of the dialogue:
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Who is Rawa Rumman and what are the reasons that prompted her to run for governor of Georgia?
I was born in Jordan to a Palestinian refugee family, and grew up in the United States since my childhood. In 2022, I won membership in the Georgia Legislature, as the first Muslim woman elected in the history of the state, a victory that marked a turning point in my public life.
After more than two decades of Republican control of power, I felt that the time had come to move courageously, especially since the state witnessed the closure of rural hospitals and a decline in the level of education, while the minimum wage remains at $5.15 per hour, which is not enough for a decent living for anyone.
I want to establish a political movement that puts the interests of the people of Georgia above the interests of private companies, and seeks to raise wages, restart hospitals, feed children, and empower small businesses. I view this fight as much as a social justice battle as a political battle.
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How do you assess your chances in this race, especially with opponents within the Democratic Party who enjoy broad financial support and strong networks?
When I announced my candidacy, I was afraid that I would appear too dreamy or delusional and naive, but after a few weeks I was surprised by thousands of volunteers from more than 40 provinces seeking to support me by communicating with voters. It was then that I realized that I was not alone, and that change is not a dream, but rather a collective project that can be achieved.
The Democratic Party is not involved in this race, but there are 7 candidates, each of whom has a different path, and the path that I represent is not shared by anyone else, because it depends on mobilizing the popular base of young people, immigrants, Muslims, and Arabs.
Georgia today is a “minority majority” state, but many of them do not participate in the primaries despite their participation in the general elections, and they constitute the natural base for Republicans, and my goal is to build a broad coalition of voters whose voice has not been heard, because change is not made with money, but rather with participation. In the end, whoever moves the street is the one who wins.
I also want the volunteers who will carry our campaign to also be partners in governance later, exerting pressure on their representatives in the legislative body to pass the reforms for which they elected us.
My goal is for the energy of the campaign to be transformed into a popular pressure movement that will continue its work after the elections, because change does not begin on the day of victory, but rather begins after it.
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Your strategy seems similar to Zahran Mamdani’s campaign in New York. How do you evaluate his experience and what lessons can be learned from it?
We have a constant joke among ourselves in the team, where we write on a small board the number of times Zahran Mamdani’s name is mentioned during the day, and we have lost count because of the large number of them, but this does not matter because Zahran fought exactly the kind of campaign that we had dreamed of for a long time, a campaign based on realpolitik, attachment to the people, and professional field organization.
Everyone knows him from his videos and social media, but behind this image there is a huge field team, training programs for volunteers, and a deep understanding that the best people to convey a candidate’s message are the people themselves.
He has proven that grassroots politics is capable of victory if it is well organized, and I see in his experience practical proof that campaigns based on collective faith can change the equation even in the face of money and influence.
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How do you describe your relationship with the Democratic Party after you were prevented from giving your speech at the party’s conference in 2024 because of your reference to Gaza? Do you think the party represents the progressive values you believe in?
The party is not a unified entity, but rather a network of hundreds of local organizations. In Gwinnett County, for example, the party fully reflects the progressive values that I believe in, but at the national level, there is a clear disconnect between the leadership and the popular base.
What happened at the conference did not surprise me, but it disappointed me. When a politician is prevented from speaking about the suffering of children in Gaza, the party loses part of its credibility, and many voters told me, “If our leaders cannot tell the truth about what is happening in Palestine, how can we trust them when they talk about justice here?”
That is why I always say that justice is indivisible, and whoever is afraid to tell the truth about Palestine will not dare to confront corruption in his country, and whoever is afraid to confront the lobbies abroad will not dare to confront the influence of major companies at home.
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Your election platform talks about raising the minimum wage, reopening rural hospitals, and supporting Medicaid programs. How will you implement these plans in a Republican-dominated legislature?
People in Georgia, including Republican voters, are fed up; Many of my colleagues in the legislature from the other party acknowledge that citizens can no longer afford the cost of living, and if I win, I will introduce my legislation from day one through elected representatives known as floor leaders, who introduce bills on behalf of the governor.
Wages will be raised to $15 (per hour) gradually, with large companies required to implement quickly, while small companies will be given a longer transition period with some tax breaks. We will also restore the tax balance in favor of local projects rather than large companies.
As for rural hospitals, the crisis there is mainly due to the state’s refusal to expand the Medicaid program (a government program in the United States that aims to provide health care to people with limited income and families with limited financial resources). This refusal does not only affect the poor, but also burdens small business owners who face the costs of health care for their employees.
Therefore, expanding coverage will ease the burden on them and create a fair competitive environment. Therefore, expanding Medicaid is not just a humanitarian decision, but rather an economic reform that restores balance to the labor market.
Now is the time to be brave. Republicans in Georgia have controlled our state for over 20 years leading to underfunded schools, closing hospitals, & low wages stuck at $5.15.
I’m running for Governor to change that. pic.twitter.com/E37ZDQgCb6
— Ruwa Romman (@ruwaromman) September 29, 2025
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In your opinion, how does your Palestinian Muslim background affect your election campaign?
I remember that on only the second day of the election campaign, activist Laura Loomer, known for her hostility to Muslims, launched a sharp attack on me, after which posts from her supporters poured in on social media, but the surprise was that the popular reaction was completely opposite, as messages of support poured in from inside and outside Georgia.
Therefore, I am realistic. There are those who hate us and will not change, but there are also those who do not know us, and when we dialogue with them, their position changes. When some people ask me how I will deal with attacks against me as a Muslim or Palestinian, I tell them, if your ruler is Palestinian, you must know that you have someone who will not leave the battle to defend you. This is part of my formation.
Arabs and Southern Americans are more similar than they think. The values of faith, family, and dignity bring us together. The only difference is that we drink tea in different ways. Some of us prefer it hot and some of us prefer it iced.
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What is your message to Arabs, Muslims, and minorities in America, especially those who feel that American policy does not represent them?
Every vote counts, I remember one of the city council members in my city won by only 4 votes. In the 2020 elections, Biden won in Georgia by a margin of no more than 11,000 votes, that is, less than 100 votes in each county. When someone says that his vote does not change anything, I tell him that this is exactly what his opponents want.
I remember when I started volunteering for the campaign of Michelle Nunn and Jason Carter in 2014, many people told me, “Georgia will remain a Republican forever,” but after only 6 years, reality changed.
The transformation was not a coincidence, but rather the result of long organized work led by local organizations that had been marginalized for years, but maintaining it requires continued participation, which is why I focus on making young people and immigrants a part of decision-making, not just seasonal voters.
I believe that what we are witnessing today, especially after the tragedy caused by the genocide in Gaza, gives us a moral responsibility to change the political reality wherever we can, and this means working at every level of government, because we have seen city councils and district councils trying to pass resolutions prohibiting demonstrations.
Therefore, I understand people’s focus on national politics, but I remind them that every unjust policy began one day in a state. Here lies our true strength, and with civil resistance we can stop many injustices before they get worse.