Ali Aljarrah, a senior adviser at New Jersey’s chapter of CAIR, is seeking a seat on the Passaic County Board of Commissioners, but he won’t be seeking the backing of the county party because of a pledge request he called not “genuinely democratic.”
Aljarrah, a progressive born in Paterson and raised in Passaic County, was initially seeking the county party endorsement, but said in a letter that he would refuse to take a pledge asking him to drop out of the race if not endorsed, and withdrew from consideration. In the letter to Passaic County Democratic municipal chairs, Aljarrah criticized the process.
“In the course of seeking the party’s support, I was told that participation in the screening process would require signing a pledge to suspend my campaign if I am not the party’s chosen candidate,” Aljarrah wrote. “I cannot in good conscience agree to that. Our party should be better than this. Competitive primaries are a healthy sign of democracy. We should let the voters decide who represents them, especially given that this is an open seat.”
CAIR Action NJ, where Aljarrah is an adviser, is the Garden State’s chapter of the country’s largest Muslim advocacy organization.
A copy of the pledge, obtained by the New Jersey Globe, asks candidates seeking the county endorsement to participate in party events and fundraising, as well as not to run against endorsed candidates. The Passaic County convention was held Saturday morning.
“If I am not selected and backed by the Passaic County Democratic Committee to run for office, I commit not to run for office against any PCDC candidates,” the pledge reads.
Aljarrah announced his bid for office last month. The New Jersey Globe first reported that Aljarrah was expected to run.
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. James has filed for re-election.
“I would be honored to earn the support of Democratic county committee members, and I hope many of you will choose to back my campaign,” Aljarrah said. “But that choice should be yours to make freely, and the outcome should be decided by voters, not predetermined behind closed doors.”
