A senior adviser at CAIR Action NJ is expected to launch a campaign for Passaic County Commissioner this month.
Ali Aljarrah, a senior adviser at New Jersey’s chapter of the country’s largest Muslim advocacy organization, has served in the role since 2023 and now seeks public office. Aljarrah, a progressive born in Paterson and raised in Passaic County, is expected to screen for the party’s endorsement.
Democrats hold a 7-0 grip on the Passaic Board of Commissioners. Two commissioners’ terms are up this year: Orlando Cruz, a state Assembly candidate last year, and 75-year-old Bruce James, a 20-year incumbent. Passaic County is home to one of the largest Muslim populations in the United States.
In 2020 and 2021, Aljarrah worked as an operations associate with the Passaic County Democrats, as well as campaign manager for Maria Cordonnier’s 2019 Assembly campaign.
Aljarrah obtained bachelor’s degrees in economics and international relations at Seton Hall University in 2020. If elected, he would be New Jersey’s first Arab county commissioner.
President Donald Trump shocked the state when he won Passaic County in the 2024 presidential election, but Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill swung the district back toward Democrats last year with a 16-point victory.
