BY VEENA RAO
Duluth, GA, June 17, 2026: State Representative Ruwa Romman secured the Democratic nomination for Georgia Senate District 7 on June 16, defeating fellow Democrat Rahul Garabadu in a closely watched runoff election.
With 99% of votes counted, Romman received 4,636 votes, or 60.1%, compared to Garabadu’s 3,073 votes, or 39.9%. The race was called by the Associated Press at 5:10 p.m. on Election Day.
The victory positions Romman to compete in the November general election for the Gwinnett County-based Senate seat.
Garabadu congratulated Romman and pledged to support Democratic candidates in the November elections.
“The voters of District 7 have spoken, and while last night’s result is not what we hoped for, I am proud of the campaign we ran,” Garabadu said in a statement. “Last night, I called Rep. Romman to congratulate her on her victory. I am thrilled that District 7 will remain in Democratic hands for the special session with the election of Adrienne White.”
Garabadu said Democrats must prevail statewide in November “to protect our democracy and build a more affordable Georgia.”
Thanking his family, campaign team, volunteers, and supporters, he added, “To everyone who cast a ballot in support of our campaign’s vision, our work doesn’t end with one election. We’ve got a democracy to save and a future to protect. So let’s get to work.”
In a statement following her win, Romman thanked supporters and highlighted the challenges her campaign faced.
“I’m incredibly grateful for every person who helped get us here. This has not been an easy race. We were outraised and fought to the end of session forcing us to delay campaigning,” Romman said. “We proved tonight that progressive values and grassroots power are more powerful than special interests. And, that voters continue to choose candidates who are unabashedly anti-corporate greed, anti-genocide, anti-war.”
Romman’s campaign emphasized its grassroots approach, reporting that it raised $60,400.75, knocked on 9,455 doors, and spoke with thousands of voters throughout the district.
The campaign also received endorsements from prominent progressive leaders, including Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Hank Johnson, Jason Carter, and Kim Jackson.
Romman currently serves in the Georgia House of Representatives and made history in 2022 as the first Muslim woman elected to the chamber and the first Palestinian elected to public office in Georgia. If elected in November, she would become the first Arab American and first Palestinian American elected to the Georgia State Senate.
The Senate District 7 seat, which covers portions of Gwinnett County, has drawn significant attention due to the district’s growing diversity and changing political landscape.
Garabadu, an attorney and community advocate, advanced to the runoff after finishing second in the Democratic primary. The race drew strong interest from the district’s sizable Asian American electorate, including many Indian American voters.
The June 16 runoff elections also settled several other major statewide contests ahead of November. In the race for governor, Republican voters nominated businessman Rick Jackson, who defeated Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in a closely watched runoff and will face Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms in the general election. Republicans also chose State Sen. Greg Dolezal as their nominee for lieutenant governor, setting up a November contest against Democrat Josh McLaurin. Other key runoff winners included Tim Fleming, who captured the Republican nomination for secretary of state, and U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, who won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate and will challenge incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff in November.
