Building Democratic power in Georgia is essential to combat Republican extremism as these candidates run strong campaigns in a presidential battleground state
WASHINGTON — Today, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee announced its Spotlight candidates to build Democratic power in Georgia. Recent statewide elections have shown that Georgia is a true battleground where more and more voters are rejecting the GOP’s brand of MAGA extremism. From extreme voter suppression and attacks on our elections to an extreme six-week abortion ban, Republican power in the Peach State poses a grave threat to fundamental freedoms. These Spotlight candidates represent the best opportunities to check the power of Republican majorities and strengthen Democratic power for the long term.
The Spotlight candidates unveiled today in Georgia are:
- Susie Greenberg (HD-53) is a legal professional and small business owner running for the Georgia House. Susie has been dedicated to serving her community for decades, whether as a court-appointed special advocate for children in the foster care system, a volunteer college counselor, or a grassroots organizer for groups like Moms Demand Action. If Susie wins her election, she is committed to fighting for reproductive freedom, gun safety legislation, and economic policies to uplift working families.
- Rep. Farooq Mughal (HD-105) is an arbitrator, economic advisor, and business owner running for reelection to the Georgia House. Farooq is determined to fight for sustained growth and stability for Georgia’s working families. During the previous session, he was instrumental in passing legislation to cut red tape for small businesses, protect frontline health care workers, and expand mental health services for veterans. Now Farooq is excited to get back to work in the statehouse with priorities that include improving public education, increasing the accessibility of health care, and restoring reproductive freedom.
- Rep. Dr. Jasmine Clark (HD-108) is a microbiologist and educator running to defend her seat in the Georgia House. Jasmine’s background as a scientist informs her approach to public service, and as a state representative, she brings the same problem-solving, strategy, and attention to detail needed in the lab to the state capitol. Her record includes pushing legislation to enact common-sense gun safety measures, improve public education, and defend reproductive freedom, and she’s ready to keep up the fight if she wins reelection this fall.
- Laura Murvartian (HD-48) is a non-profit leader whose family immigrated to America from Mexico when she was eight years old. Her parents sacrificed a lot to give her great opportunities, and Laura is running for the Georgia House to help ensure those opportunities remain possible for all Georgians. She has worked toward this goal as a community volunteer, serving on projects to increase voter engagement, support the arts, and advocate for the local Latino population. If Laura is elected, she plans to hit the ground running by pushing to restore reproductive freedom, pass common-sense gun safety legislation, and enact economic policies that uplift working families.
- Michelle Kang (HD-99) immigrated in 1992 to Georgia, where she became a powerful champion for the diverse communities of Gwinnett County. Now, Michelle is running for the Georgia House to take the next step in a lifetime of public service. From organizing nursing home visits as a high school student in Korea to founding a business dedicated to supporting recent immigrants, Michelle always puts her neighbors first. Michelle is ready to use her experience as a business owner to strengthen the economy, restore reproductive freedom, and ensure that the next generation of working families can afford to own a home.
- Sen. Nabilah Islam Parkes (SD-07) became both the first Muslim woman and the youngest woman ever elected to the Georgia Senate in 2022, and this fall, she’s running for reelection. As a senator, Nabilah has been a champion for working families, sponsoring legislation to raise the minimum wage, expand access to health care, keep children safe from guns, and protect reproductive freedom. Nabilah is ready to keep standing up to the Republican majority that’s blocking real progress in her state.
- Ashwin Ramaswami (SD-48) is a Johns Creek local running for the Georgia Senate against a Republican incumbent who was criminally indicted as part of Trump’s fake electors conspiracy. Ashwin is a computer scientist with a career in cybersecurity who wants to help make Georgia a tech industry hub. Education is the key to making this goal a reality, and Ashwin will do everything he can to ensure that all Georgia residents have access to world-class public schools. Ashwin is also committed to pushing for Medicaid expansion, affordable housing, gun safety legislation, and environmental protection.
These candidates are some of the best opportunities to defend and build Democratic power this cycle, and victories in these races will put Georgia on a path toward a brighter future. This announcement continues the momentum of DLCC’s “Summer of the States” campaign, which launched last month to call attention to the critical window to build the infrastructure for Democrats to push past Republican efforts and boost our chances for victory in November. These strong Georgia candidates join hundreds of candidates who are mounting inspiring campaigns in every corner of the country to build Democratic power and counter MAGA control of state legislatures.
Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Heather Williams issued the following statement:
“The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee is proud to announce our Spotlight candidates to build Democratic power in Georgia. State Republicans in Georgia have kept themselves locked in power with ruthless racial gerrymandering and voter suppression efforts, but the DLCC has a multi-cycle strategy to overcome GOP extremism and build power, with this slate of candidates as our next step.
“The DLCC’s Spotlight program uplifts some of the best opportunities to build and cement Democratic power, and we’re thrilled to continue our momentum from our ‘Summer of the States’ campaign. These Georgia candidates represent the brightest opportunities to alter the balance of power in the state and work toward a legislature that is representative of Georgians.”
The DLCC is the official arm of the Democratic Party with the sole mission of building Democratic power in the states and setting the national agenda at the state level. Over the last decade, we have fought cycle-over-cycle to gain a dozen new legislative chamber majorities and we are leading the effort to bring national attention and investment to our ballot level. State legislatures are the building blocks of our democracy and have the closest connections to Americans’ day-to-day lives. From protecting fundamental freedoms and voting rights to growing the middle class, the DLCC and state legislators are moving the Democratic agenda forward and shaping the future of this country.
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