U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) rallied for Mussab Ali for Jersey City mayor in front of City Hall on Saturday afternoon, doubling down after endorsing him in May.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“Across this country, families are under attack by an authoritarian administration. We won’t be silent. They know when we speak up our voices carry power,” Omar said during the weekend event.
She defined local government as critical in defending against the policies of the President Donald Trump (R) administration, and described Jersey City as “on the front line of the battle against Donald Trump.”
Omar also praised Jersey City as a beacon of immigrant strength and diversity, and warned of the urgent need to defend both working families and democratic freedoms.
The congresswoman further stated that immigrant and working-class communities are under attack not only from economic pressures and Trump’s immigration agenda, but also from efforts to silence dissent.
During his remarks, Ali lauded Omar as an example of “what resilient, principled leadership rooted in the courage and struggles of ordinary people”.
Ali, who immigrated from Pakistan at the age of three, tied his fight for affordable housing, free city-run buses, and immigrant protections directly to the defense of free speech and democracy.
“True freedom means the freedom to live with dignity and to speak without fear. When fear becomes the price of speaking freely, democracy itself is in danger. And when leaders stay silent, they send a message to the public and to the next generation that power, not principle, decides who gets to speak,” Ali declared.
The Rally for Working Families drew loud cheers and chants as Ali highlighted his grassroots campaign and his pledge to reject corporate PAC and pay-to-play money, while contrasting his approach with that of former governor Jim McGreevey and other opponents.
“Let me be clear: Jersey City will not be bought by MAGA billionaires. Jersey City will not capitulate to Donald Trump’s agenda. And as your mayor, neither will I,” he concluded.