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Meet New Jersey's Zohran Mamdani
Mussab Ali is an up-and-coming politician who, at 28, has fought stage-four cancer.
Zohran Mamdani isn’t the only Desi candidate making a bid for mayor in the tristate area. Mussab Ali, who in 2017 became the youngest Muslim official in the nation when he joined the Jersey City school board, is now running for Jersey City mayor.
Seven candidates are in the race, and Ali is unlikely to win, but the 28-year-old is committed to public service and likely to pursue other political offices in the future. While serving on the school board, he helped make Eid a district holiday, established higher wages and salaries for district employees, and replaced lead-containing pipes to provide clean drinking water in public school fountains.
In an interview with Pehchaan, Ali talked about his journey from Lahore, where he was born, to public service in Jersey City.
From Pakistan to Jersey City
In 2000, Ali’s parents immigrated from Lahore to Jersey City, drawn by the American Dream. The transition to a new country wasn’t easy, he explains in the interview. His parents, who previously held prestigious careers in Pakistan, had to start over to provide for their family.
Ali’s mother, a physics professor, found work at a daycare facility. His father, previously an engineer, worked at Hudson News before landing an engineering job at Newark Airport. This job was his father’s big break until he was ethnically profiled, according to Ali.
“When 9/11 happened, 9/11 he had a job and then on September 12, they tell him to go back home and submit a background check that’s never going to come back, “Ali recalls, “and so he loses his job.”
Despite these challenges, his parents’ dedication to providing for their family and engagement in their community inspired Ali’s interest in public service.
The road to public service
“My dad has always been working for other people, trying to think about how he can give back,” Ali says. “My mom is part teacher, part social worker, community liaison, therapist. I grew up with people calling her for advice.”
While Ali was exposed to this service environment, he didn’t connect it to a political landscape. Growing up, he said there weren’t many models for him in U.S. politics, especially people who looked like him or came from similar experiences.
Ali’s push into politics was driven by two key factors. First, he witnessed firsthand the educational and environmental gaps as a student of the Jersey City public school system and sought to bring that perspective to the board. Second, he was compelled to run after Donald Trump attacked Jersey City by falsely claiming he saw thousands of Muslims cheering and celebrating the events of 9/11 there.
In 2016, Ali made his first run for the Jersey City school board. He lost the local election the same night Trump was elected president. Ali remembers the double defeat with humor, “I’m a teenager, and you can imagine my self-esteem getting crushed. Like, wow, okay, my city hates me and this country hates me.”
Undeterred, Ali ran again in 2017 and won. In 2021, Ali was elected president of the school board. At the same time, he started Harvard Law School.
Then Ali’s life turned upside down with a stage-four cancer diagnosis.
“I always built myself up as a guy with no flaws, no errors. Cancer was a massive chink in my armor that I can’t control,” Ali said. During that difficult time, the Jersey City community responded with overwhelming levels of support. “People I didn’t even know were praying for me, sending food to our house. The people of Jersey City had my back.”
This support contributed to Ali’s triumph over cancer and his continued advocacy for the people of his city. In his words, through these challenges, “God was preparing me for future endeavors.”
Challenging community stigmas
While there are many Indian Americans in political office, Ali notes that there are still very few Pakistani elected officials. He believes that “Pakistanis get in [their] own way” because they don’t support one another.
In Ali’s first election, his community was uncertain about his campaign and questioned if he was the right person for the job. It wasn’t until after he was first elected to the school board that the community began to increase its support.
Ali believes that the uncertainty Pakistanis have in supporting each other is a natural part of a tribal or caste system mentality.
“I was never exposed to this as a kid, and I didn’t even know Pakistanis had castes until I was in my twenties,” he said. “To grow older in our communities is to realize all the un-learning that needs to happen; it’s a huge barrier to our success.”
Ali encourages more Pakistani and Muslim Americans to run for office, saying it is essential for representation. “Even if you disagree with an elected official on policy, it’s helpful to have people in office who can understand your lived experiences and advocate for your community,” he said.
Building a future of integrity
Ali’s mission is to transform the electorate and get people to vote because he wants individuals to feel empowered and seen in the political process. His mayoral campaign is rooted in “building a Jersey City that works for everybody.” His platform focuses on affordable housing and expanded public transportation that connects all of the city’s neighborhoods.
As election season ramps up, Ali is championing the diverse identity of his city and state, pushing against the notion that New Jersey is just a stop between New York City and Philadelphia.
“New Jersey has its own personality,” Ali says. “This is the place that I call home.”
Ifrah Akhtar is the associate editor of Central Desi.
Upcoming events this week (Oct 15 - 21)
October 18th: Central Jersey Community Civic Action Session
2 - 5 PM
New Brunswick Performing Arts Center
11 Livingston Ave, New Brunswick, NJ
Come learn about voter and mobilization resources to build power in your communities. Connect with others working towards an inclusive democracy. Light refreshments will be served, and childcare and translation services are available.
RSVP here.
October 19th: Ahmed Jahanzeb Live in Concert
6:00 PM
Jo Ann Magistro Performing Arts Center
200 Rues Lane, East Brunswick, NJ
The renowned Pakistani pop singer and composer is performing live in New Jersey. He is best known for his classical music roots and soulful voice, releasing his first record when he was just eight years old.
Tickets available here.
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