In a recent campaign reel, Mussab Ali — his image tripled — dances to a popular Portuguese song as words scroll on the screen: “Dance if people should elect you as mayor of Jersey City.”

In other social media videos, he strolls the streets talking plainly about how, if elected as mayor, he would make it more affordable to live in Jersey City: Lowering your rent. Fast and free buses. Taking on bad landlords.

The breezy style and simple messaging bring to mind another mayoral candidate from across the Hudson: Zohran Mamdani. The New York City candidate’s viral videos, grassroots outreach and catchy messaging helped fuel his astonishing rise as the frontrunner in the mayoral race.

“Nobody thought that New York City could elect a young, Muslim, progressive mayor,” Ali says in a campaign

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