From dodging a Deloitte firing to navigating grief, genocide, and the Georgia General Assembly, Rep. Ruwa Romman returns to finish the story she started. In this follow-up episode, Ruwa opens up about her time at Deloitte, her work defending the census, and the chaos that followed when her campaign was leaked to the press. The trio delves deeply into Georgia politics, organizational philosophy, coalition-building, messaging strategy, and the personal toll of being a Palestinian-American woman in elected office. A masterclass in resilience, message discipline, and finding power in spite.

📍 (02:12) — From Deloitte to the Census Bureau: Government Work and the Fight Against Misinformation

Ruwa shares her journey through Deloitte’s public sector arm and how she ended up combating misinformation for the U.S. Census—connecting data collection to hospital planning, political power, and Jamal Bowman's seat.

📍 (11:41) — From “No Way” to Election Day: How a Leaked Article Sparked Her Campaign

A surprise AJC article about Ruwa “entertaining a run” becomes the unofficial launch of her campaign—setting off panic, purpose, and overwhelming grassroots support that forced her to say yes.

📍 (20:14) — Beating the Odds: Governor Opposition, Donor Doubt, and Winning Anyway

Ruwa unpacks the skepticism she faced, including donors who doubted her chances, and how she won her general election by a larger margin even after the governor endorsed against her.

📍 (30:40) — Carrying Grief and Fighting Back: Palestine, Policy, and Political Pressure

Ruwa discusses the emotional weight of being the only Palestinian-American legislator in the South during the war in Gaza, navigating trauma while fulfilling her duties, and resisting resignation.

📍 (36:03) — Common Sense or “Progressive”? Ruwa’s Politics and the Southern Strategy for Change

She pushes back on political labels, calls for a broader southern strategy that centers overlooked voters, and breaks down why Georgia isn’t backwards—it’s the future.

🏆 Mamba Mentality Award:
This episode’s Mamba Mentality Award goes to Representative Ruwa Romman for embodying passion, fearlessness, and relentlessness. From community cookouts to statehouse floor votes, Ruwa consistently shows up with discipline, dignity, and deep commitment to her people. As Kevin puts it, “you make us ask ourselves if we’re doing enough.”

In their first-ever interview with a sitting elected official, Rich and Kevin sit down with Georgia State Representative Ruwa Romman for a powerful and personal conversation. From escaping anti-Arab racism in Forsyth County to canvassing during the Michelle Nunn campaign, Ruwa shares how her lived experience as a Palestinian-Muslim woman in the Deep South shaped her political awakening.

This episode is part origin story, part political analysis, and part cultural reckoning—covering identity, mentorship, college activism, and how small moments (like a random Google Form) can spark lifelong civic engagement. The boys of Maroon Bison are building something different—and this one’s for the organizers, the immigrants, and everyone who's ever been “othered” but showed up anyway.

📍(05:30) - From Palestine to Forsyth: Growing Up “Other” in Georgia
Ruwa shares her family’s journey from Jordan to Georgia, the culture shock of arriving just before 9/11, and how Forsyth County’s racist history shaped her childhood—including bullying, isolation, and being one of the only non-white students in her class.

📍 (10:32) - MLK Cartoons, Civil Rights, and the Roots of Political Curiosity
How a time-traveling MLK cartoon ignited her fascination with social justice, and how volunteering at the Center for Civil and Human Rights introduced her to icons like John Lewis and the logistics behind real movement building.

📍 (17:16) - Tea, Terrorist Slurs, and Third Culture Life in the South
Ruwa reflects on navigating identity as a visibly Muslim Palestinian girl in the South, the trauma of childhood racism, and how her mom worked to preserve their culture while shielding her from harm.

📍 (24:44) - How One Canvassing Shift Changed Everything
From an invite on campus to canvassing for Michelle Nunn in 2014, Ruwa describes falling in love with organizing and realizing how many voters and volunteers were being overlooked—especially in communities that looked like hers.

📍 (37:09) - Mentors, Movement, and Building Something Bigger
Ruwa honors the mentors who shaped her—from college leaders to fellow trailblazers—and shares how movements are seeded through seemingly small efforts, even in campaigns that don’t win.

🏆 Mamba Mentality Award
Rep. Tanya Miller earns the Mamba Mentality Award for her powerful leadership during Georgia’s tort reform battle. Ruwa praises her tenacity and clarity in navigating one of the session’s toughest fights, calling her an example of what happens when the right person is trusted to lead.

In this second installment of the Free Game series, Rich and Kevin pull back the curtain on the communications and field operations that make or break a political campaign. From crafting a message that hits (and sticks), to building a data-driven ground game that actually turns out voters, this episode is a crash course in campaign mechanics—and a consultant-level education for free. With stories from Obama’s Iowa field operation to Bloomberg’s message meltdown, the Maroon Bison crew brings real receipts from the trail, complete with debate prep war stories, Chick-fil-A branding analogies, and a reminder that if your campaign doesn’t know its win number—you’re probably going to lose.

📍 (06:41) — Two Departments, One Mission: Communications & Field
Rich and Kevin explain why these two parts of a campaign must work in sync. Comms builds the message, field delivers it to voters—online, on the phones, and at the door. And if they’re not aligned? The whole campaign suffers.

📍 (10:35) — Who’s On Your Comms Team? Roles That Matter
They break down the communications hierarchy: director, press secretary, digital lead, creative director, and the all-important pollster. Messaging isn’t just writing good speeches—it’s science, branding, and strategy.

📍 (24:21) — Why Message Discipline Wins Elections
You may be tired of saying the same thing over and over, but voters need to hear it 13 times before it sticks. From Obama’s “community organizer” line to Trump’s MAGA branding, repetition = recognition.

📍 (34:27) — Field Game: Your Ground-and-Pound Strategy
A deep dive into voter ID, persuasion, and turnout—plus why the voter file is your Bible and your organizers better be building an army. The motto: organize yourself out of a job.

📍 (46:40) — Know Your Win Number—or You’re Toast
Rich and Kevin wrap up with a key principle: if your campaign doesn’t know how many votes it needs to win, you’re not serious. From contact rates to persuasion tracking, it's all about the numbers—and the numbers don’t lie.

🏆 Mamba Mentality Award
🐍 All the everyday candidates putting their names on the ballot and stepping into the arena. It takes guts to run.

🐍 And a special shoutout to Stew Cornelius, the behind-the-scenes MVP keeping the Maroon Bison team on point and ready for primetime.