Georgia State Senate — District 7

Ruwa Romman

Democratic nominee · state representative, House District 97

Ruwa Romman, 33, was born in Amman, Jordan, and moved to Georgia at age 8. She graduated from South Forsyth High School and Oglethorpe University and studied at Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy. Elected to the House from Duluth in 2022, she became the first Muslim woman to serve in the Georgia House and the first Palestinian American elected to office in Georgia. She briefly ran for governor this cycle before switching to this race, and won the June 16 Democratic runoff over Rahul Garabadu.

Previously held

State Representative, House District 97 (2023–present)
2026 candidate for governor (withdrew)
Georgetown University, McCourt School of Public Policy

Top contributors

$159,155 raised for this Senate race — nine times Shaikh — but she has spent nearly all of it, leaving $774. Her donors include national and state Democratic-aligned groups (Leaders We Deserve, Way to Lead Georgia, the Peach State Muslim Coalition) and individuals from Georgia and out of state. Her separate House and governor's-race committees report $525,609 and $245,822 raised, which are not counted here.

$6,800.00Ibrahim Awad (Tucker, GA)
$5,600.00Lexi White (Duluth, GA)
$5,100.00Leaders We Deserve – Georgia (recorded as Washington, DE)
$5,100.00Way to Lead Georgia (Atlanta, GA)
$5,000.00Scott Satterwhite (Decatur, GA)
$4,000.00Karla Jurvetson (Los Altos, CA)
$3,300.00Aziz Dhanani (Duluth, GA)
$3,300.00Peach State Muslim Coalition Inc (Brookhaven, GA)
$3,300.00Ed Hasan (Vienna, VA)
$3,000.00Susan Clymer (Suwanee, GA)

$159,155 raised · $774 cash on hand — as of Sep 14, 2026 (GA Ethics latest filing).

Source: Georgia Ethics Commission (PeachFile) — cycle-to-date, Sept. 14, 2026 · AccessNorthGA — Rep. Romman wins Democratic primary for State Senate District 7 · Georgia Recorder — Democrat wins Gwinnett County-based state Senate special election after close call · Rough Draft Atlanta — State Rep. Ruwa Romman shares updates on Georgia's 7th Senate District (June 24, 2026) · Wikipedia — 2026 Georgia State Senate election (2024 presidential margins by district)

Where they stand

Education

We reviewed her campaign materials, BallotReady profile, legislative record and recent coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this.

Source: BallotReady — Ruwa Romman · GA Files fact sheet — Ruwa Romman

Healthcare

Pledges to “continue the fight to expand Medicaid, and fight to use 10% of the surplus to invest in a first-of-its-kind in the Southeast cancer research hub.” Voted YES on HB 428 (2025), the state IVF-access right.

Source: BallotReady — Ruwa Romman · GA Files fact sheet — Ruwa Romman

Minimum Wage

Pledges to “raise the minimum wage to at least 15 an hour and repeal state laws that ban cities and counties from setting their own minimum wage.”

Source: BallotReady — Ruwa Romman

Homelessness

Voted NO on HB 295 (2026), which restricts unsanctioned public camping and pushes local governments toward enforcement. She campaigns for more affordable housing and tenant protections.

Source: GA Files fact sheet — Ruwa Romman · Rough Draft Atlanta — State Rep. Ruwa Romman shares updates on Georgia's 7th Senate District (June 24, 2026) · BallotReady — Ruwa Romman

Veterans Affairs

We reviewed her campaign materials, BallotReady profile, legislative record and recent coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this.

Source: BallotReady — Ruwa Romman

Immigration

Has campaigned against Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in immigrant communities and says she would push federal counterparts “to pass legislation to hold ICE accountable.”

Source: BallotReady — Ruwa Romman · Rough Draft Atlanta — State Rep. Ruwa Romman shares updates on Georgia's 7th Senate District (June 24, 2026)

Gun Control

We reviewed her campaign materials, BallotReady profile, legislative record and recent coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this.

Source: BallotReady — Ruwa Romman · GA Files fact sheet — Ruwa Romman

Abortion

We reviewed her campaign materials, BallotReady profile, legislative record and recent coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. She voted YES on HB 428 (2025), protecting IVF access.

Source: BallotReady — Ruwa Romman · GA Files fact sheet — Ruwa Romman

LGBTQ+

Voted NO on SB 1 (2025), which bars transgender women and girls from female school and college sports teams, and NO on SB 140 (2023), which bans gender-affirming care for transgender minors.

Source: GA Files fact sheet — Ruwa Romman · Georgia General Assembly — House roll-call votes

DEI

We reviewed her campaign materials, BallotReady profile, legislative record and recent coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this.

Source: BallotReady — Ruwa Romman · GA Files fact sheet — Ruwa Romman

Marijuana

Voted YES on SB 220 (2026), the bipartisan expansion of Georgia's low-THC medical cannabis program.

Source: GA Files fact sheet — Ruwa Romman · Georgia General Assembly — House roll-call votes

Data centers

Opposes the proliferation of data centers.

Source: Rough Draft Atlanta — State Rep. Ruwa Romman shares updates on Georgia's 7th Senate District (June 24, 2026)

Accountability File

None documented.

Campaign site · Full legislator fact sheet

Aizaz Shaikh

Republican nominee · Air Force veteran, real estate agent

Aizaz Shaikh was born in DeKalb County and has lived in Gwinnett since he was a year old, growing up in a large immigrant family. A graduate of Brookwood High School and Georgia Gwinnett College, he served in the U.S. Air Force and now works in real estate and as a substitute teacher in Gwinnett County Public Schools. He narrowly lost the June special-election runoff for this seat to Democrat Adrienne White Carden, who is not seeking a full term. NRI Pulse profiled him as a moderate Republican running in one of the state's most diverse districts.

Previously held

2026 Republican nominee, Senate District 7 special election (lost narrowly)
U.S. Air Force veteran
Real estate agent; substitute teacher, Gwinnett County Public Schools

Top contributors

$17,644 raised — about a ninth of Romman's total — with $7,926 in the bank. All of it is in his special-election committee; his committee for the November race reports nothing. Nearly two-thirds of his money came from two Republican Party organizations: the Georgia Republican Senatorial Committee and the Ninth District GOP.

$8,400.00Georgia Republican Senatorial Committee Inc (Roswell, GA)
$3,300.00Republican Party of the Ninth District (Demorest, GA)
$520.51Susan Baker (Lawrenceville, GA)
$360.34Enterprise – Riverside Pkwy (Lawrenceville, GA)
$235.21Aizaz Shaikh (Lawrenceville, GA — the candidate)
$200.00Conservative Republican Women (Cumming, GA)
$130.84Alamgir Shaikh (Lawrenceville, GA)
$100.00Pat Quigley (Peachtree Corners, GA)
$100.00Monica Woodard (Buford, GA)

$17,644 raised · $7,926 cash on hand — as of Sep 14, 2026 (GA Ethics latest filing).

Source: Georgia Ethics Commission (PeachFile) — cycle-to-date, Sept. 14, 2026 · NRI Pulse — A moderate Republican in a diverse district: Aizaz Shaikh's bid for Georgia Senate District 7 (Sept. 1, 2026)

Where they stand

Education

Wants more financial-literacy instruction — “it only encompasses one semester” — more after-school parent involvement, less compliance paperwork for special-education teachers, and cellphone limits during the school day.

Source: NRI Pulse — A moderate Republican in a diverse district: Aizaz Shaikh's bid for Georgia Senate District 7 (Sept. 1, 2026)

Healthcare

We reviewed his NRI Pulse interview and campaign coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this.

Source: NRI Pulse — A moderate Republican in a diverse district: Aizaz Shaikh's bid for Georgia Senate District 7 (Sept. 1, 2026)

Minimum Wage

We reviewed his NRI Pulse interview and campaign coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. On taxes, he backed letting county voters trade sales-tax increases for property-tax cuts: “it gives the control to the people.”

Source: NRI Pulse — A moderate Republican in a diverse district: Aizaz Shaikh's bid for Georgia Senate District 7 (Sept. 1, 2026)

Homelessness

We reviewed his NRI Pulse interview and campaign coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. On housing, he supports down-payment assistance and financial-literacy education for first-time buyers.

Source: NRI Pulse — A moderate Republican in a diverse district: Aizaz Shaikh's bid for Georgia Senate District 7 (Sept. 1, 2026)

Veterans Affairs

We reviewed his NRI Pulse interview and campaign coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. He is an Air Force veteran.

Source: NRI Pulse — A moderate Republican in a diverse district: Aizaz Shaikh's bid for Georgia Senate District 7 (Sept. 1, 2026)

Immigration

We reviewed his NRI Pulse interview and campaign coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this. Asked about hostility toward immigrants, he said “it really has come down to lack of knowledge” and called for more tolerance and dialogue.

Source: NRI Pulse — A moderate Republican in a diverse district: Aizaz Shaikh's bid for Georgia Senate District 7 (Sept. 1, 2026)

Gun Control

“As someone who was in the Air Force, I do believe that we have a right to carry weapons. However, again, it needs to be moderated.” He added: “Someone with a mental health issue should not be allowed to just go and get a weapon.”

Source: NRI Pulse — A moderate Republican in a diverse district: Aizaz Shaikh's bid for Georgia Senate District 7 (Sept. 1, 2026)

Abortion

He did not say whether he would change Georgia's abortion law. “Abortion is another topic that we need to address the root cause. I would argue most women are going through with abortion because their circumstances leave them no other option, not because they want to.”

Source: NRI Pulse — A moderate Republican in a diverse district: Aizaz Shaikh's bid for Georgia Senate District 7 (Sept. 1, 2026)

LGBTQ+

We reviewed his NRI Pulse interview and campaign coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this.

Source: NRI Pulse — A moderate Republican in a diverse district: Aizaz Shaikh's bid for Georgia Senate District 7 (Sept. 1, 2026)

DEI

We reviewed his NRI Pulse interview and campaign coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this.

Source: NRI Pulse — A moderate Republican in a diverse district: Aizaz Shaikh's bid for Georgia Senate District 7 (Sept. 1, 2026)

Marijuana

We reviewed his NRI Pulse interview and campaign coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this.

Source: NRI Pulse — A moderate Republican in a diverse district: Aizaz Shaikh's bid for Georgia Senate District 7 (Sept. 1, 2026)

Data centers

We reviewed his NRI Pulse interview and campaign coverage as of September 2026 and found no stated position on this.

Source: NRI Pulse — A moderate Republican in a diverse district: Aizaz Shaikh's bid for Georgia Senate District 7 (Sept. 1, 2026)

Accountability File

None documented.

NRI Pulse interview · iVoterGuide profile

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Every entry is drawn from published reporting, official records, or the candidate's own statements, with sources on each item. Policy summaries are condensed from that reporting and reflect the candidate's stated positions; where a matter is an allegation or unresolved, that is noted, and inclusion is not a finding of guilt. Contributor figures are early/partial where the official itemized filings (Georgia Ethics Commission) are still being compiled. Corrections welcome via the contact link in the footer. Last updated 2026-06-17.