They Attacked
His Mother.
Laid Off His Father.
And Raised a Fighter.
Born in Lahore. Raised in Jersey City. Elected at 20. Board President at 23. Diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer that same year. Harvard Law. Came home. Now he's taking on a dynasty.
The Full Story
From Lahore to the Halls of Power
September 2000 — Age 3
The Golden Door
Mussab Ali was born in Lahore, Pakistan in 1997. In September 2000, his family immigrated to Jersey City — known as the Golden Door of America. His mother became a public school teacher. His father became a USPS mail carrier. Both were union workers who believed in the promise of this country.
September 2001
After 9/11: The Family Was Tested
One year after arriving, the world changed. Mussab's mother — a teacher who wore a hijab — was physically and verbally attacked. His father was laid off. The Ali family faced the worst of anti-Muslim discrimination in the country they'd sacrificed everything to reach. They didn't leave. They stayed, and they raised a fighter.
2017 — Age 20
History Made
At Rutgers–Newark, Mussab earned dual degrees in Economics and Biology in three years and was named a Harry S. Truman Scholar. In 2016, he ran for the Board of Education. He lost. He ran again. Winning by just 68 votes, he became the youngest elected official in Jersey City history and the youngest Muslim elected official in the United States. In 2018, he was re-elected with nearly 23,000 votes.
2021 — Age 23
Board President. Stage 4 Cancer. He Never Stopped.
Elected Board President, Mussab took on a $700 million budget and delivered: raised teacher minimum salaries to $61K, set a $17/hr district minimum wage, eliminated student lunch debt, passed the first fully funded budget in a decade, and fixed lead in 14 schools. That same year, he was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin's Lymphoma. 12 rounds of chemo. Zero board meetings missed. He beat it. He's since completed three marathons.
2020–2023
Schwarzman Scholar. Harvard Law. Came Home.
After Rutgers, Mussab earned a Master's in Global Affairs from Tsinghua University as a Schwarzman Scholar. At Harvard Law, he served as co-president of the student body, sat on the ABA Board of Governors, and was named a Paul & Daisy Soros Fellow. He graduated in 2023, co-founded the Ali Leadership Institute — and came home to fight.
2026 — Now
Running for Congress. Choosing Courage.
After a historic mayoral campaign in 2025, Mussab is taking on the fight that matters most: challenging a political dynasty for NJ-08. Backed by 10,000+ working people, endorsed by Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Ro Khanna, and Keith Ellison. Funded entirely by small donors. No corporate PAC money, ever.
Track Record
Results. Not Rhetoric.
$0K
Raised Teacher Minimum Salaries
Fought to raise the floor so every JC educator earns what they deserve.
$0
Student Lunch Debt — Eliminated
No child should ever be chased over a meal bill. He ended it completely.
$0M
Budget Balanced. First in a Decade.
Closed a $70M gap without cutting essential classroom services.
0
Schools — Lead Water Fixed
Restarted a stalled remediation project from when he was a student.
$0/hr
District Minimum Wage Set
Raised the floor for the lowest-paid workers in the school system.
0
Board Meetings Missed During Chemo
12 rounds of chemotherapy. Zero excuses. Zero absences.
"
I didn't run for office to build a career. I ran because my neighbors can't afford to live here anymore — and no one in power is doing a damn thing about it.
— Mussab Ali
