Roa Rumman Wins Seat in Georgia State Senate

Democratic candidate Roa Rumman, former member of the Georgia House of Representatives, won a seat in the Georgia State Senate representing the 7th district in the midterm elections held on Tuesday, November 3. With her victory over Republican opponent Ayaz Sheikh, Rumman becomes the first American of Palestinian descent to join the Georgia State Senate, after making history in 2022 as the first Muslim and Palestinian woman elected to the state's House of Representatives. Born in 1993 in Amman, Jordan, Rumman’s family moved to Georgia, USA, when she was seven years old. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Politics from Oglethorpe University in 2015 and a Master’s degree in Public Policy from Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy in 2019. Rumman is passionate about politics, civic engagement, interfaith dialogue, and community service. She has volunteered in every election cycle since 2014, worked as a field organizer for the Muslim Voter Project in Georgia, and served as communications director for the Georgia branch of CARE. In 2020, she helped many Georgia residents participate in voting and worked as a field organizer for the Asian American Advocacy Fund. In October 2025, she announced her candidacy for Georgia governor in the 2026 election, focusing on raising the minimum wage, expanding healthcare access, and supporting small businesses. Rumman attended South Forsyth High School in Atlanta, graduating in 2011, then earned her bachelor's degree from Oglethorpe University in 2015. She moved to Washington, D.C., in 2017 to pursue her master's degree at Georgetown University, where she served as student association president and was part of the advisory council for the Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service. Since college, she has been involved in community work and political organizing, including participation in the 2014 gubernatorial campaign of former state senator Jason Carter. In 2022, she won a seat in the Georgia state legislature with 57.7% of the vote, becoming the first Muslim woman to hold public office in the state. Her campaign focused on government working for all, pledging to fully fund education, close economic opportunity gaps, expand healthcare access, and protect voting rights. In her gubernatorial campaign, she highlighted rising living costs and criticized Republicans for prioritizing corporate interests over addressing crises. Rumman believes the government must fight for the people and that budgets should invest in citizens rather than tax breaks for businesses.