Mussab Ali Launches Congressional Campaign

Mussab Ali, a former Jersey City Board of Education president and 2025 mayoral candidate, announced his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives in New Jersey’s 8th Congressional District on Tuesday.

Ali’s campaign, branded with the slogan “Choose Courage,” launched alongside a new logo and website, AliForNJ.com. He is challenging incumbent Rep. Robert Menendez Jr., who has represented the district since 2022.

“This is America. There are no kings, no crowns, no heirs,” Ali said. “Public office should be earned through service, not inherited through connections. I’m running because NJ-08 deserves leadership rooted in courage, not silence.”

Ali, a Harvard Law School graduate and cancer survivor who immigrated to the U.S. at age three, emphasized policy positions including Medicare for All, fair taxation, humane immigration reform, and ending “endless wars.” He stated the campaign’s goal is to center working families over corporate interests.

“America is wealthy enough to care for everyone,” Ali said. “The only thing missing is the political courage to do it. This campaign is about choosing courage.”

Ali pledged not to accept donations from corporate PACs or federal lobbyists. His campaign received a first-day endorsement from former New York Congressman Jamaal Bowman.

“Mussab has been clear about what he stands for: abolishing ICE, fully funding healthcare, and making the wealthy pay their fair share,” Bowman said.

Ali’s public campaign kickoff will take place Thursday, January 29, at Sip Studios, 140 Sip Avenue, Jersey City. Doors open at 6:00 p.m.

In a statement issued following Ali’s announcement, Rep. Menendez responded, “I have been on the frontline of the battle for the soul of our nation and have put it all on the line to defend our freedoms and the promise of America. In this critical moment, we need someone who will never back down from a fight. From Delaney Hall to Minneapolis to the halls of Congress, I have been in this fight for all of us, never wavering from our shared beliefs. That’s why I am running for reelection to keep fighting for you, for our communities, for everyone who calls this district home.”