Mussab Ali, a Jersey City community leader, former President of the Jersey City Board of Education, and 2025 mayoral candidate, has announced his candidacy for the United States House of Representatives in New Jersey’s 8th Congressional District, the seat currently held by Rep. Rob Menendez, Jr. since 2022.
Ali has launched his campaign slogan, “Choose Courage,” as well as a new logo and website, AliForNJ.com.
A press release from the Ali campaign states that Ali, a longtime advocate for working families, is running on a platform that challenges entrenched power and calls for bold federal action on healthcare, housing, immigration, and foreign policy.
Ali states, “This is America. There are no kings, no crowns, no heirs. 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 is a Harvard Law School graduate, Stage IV cancer survivor and immigrant who has lived in Jersey City since the age of three. His campaign is framed around the belief that the country has the resources to meet people’s needs, but too often lacks the political will to act.
“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’s platform includes support for Medicare for All, fair taxation of the ultra-wealthy, a humane immigration system rooted in dignity and due process, and an end to endless wars that drain public resources while failing to make communities safer.
“For too long, Washington has asked working people to settle for less while billionaires and defense contractors get everything,” Ali said. “I’m running to flip that script. This campaign is about choosing people over profit, democracy over dynasties, and communities over corporations.”
Ali has pledged not to accept donations from corporate PACs or federal lobbyists and says his campaign will be powered by grassroots support.
“I’m a proud son of Jersey City, a proud immigrant, and the child of working-class parents. I’ve had to fight for everything I’ve done, just like so many families across Hudson, Essex, and Union Counties. This district deserves leadership that’s earned, not inherited.”
Ali received a day-one endorsement from Jamaal Bowman, former Congressman from New York.
“I am honored to stand with Mussab Ali on day one,” Bowman said. “New Jersey cannot wait for change. Tweaks are not enough. At a moment when working families are under attack and healthcare protections are being rolled back, the people of NJ-08 need leadership that will fight for them. Mussab has been clear about what he stands for: abolishing ICE, fully funding healthcare, and making the wealthy pay their fair share. His record shows he means what he says. We need real fighters and champions in Congress, and that’s exactly what NJ-08 will get with Mussab Ali.”
Ali emphasized that the campaign will prioritize direct voter engagement across the district.
“Our campaign will be powered by people knocking doors, making calls, and demanding better,” Ali said. “If we win, it won’t be my victory alone. It will belong to everyone who chose courage.”
Ali will host a public campaign kickoff event on Thursday, January 29, 2026, at Sip Studios, located at 140 Sip Avenue in Jersey City. Doors open at 6:00 PM.