Age
36
Education
Harvard Law School, JD. Middlebury College, BA. St. Ignatius High School.
Qualifications for office
Have served as attorney and advisor in Cleveland City Hall under Mayor Justin Bibb since start of his administration. Former co-chair of South of Jefferson Block Club in Tremont. Raising a family on the Near West Side.
Campaign Phone
2163024568
Current occupation
Attorney
I believe in a strong local government and high-quality public services, including safety services–because everyone deserves to feel safe. That starts with well-trained, well-resourced police who serve our communities fairly and constitutionally. It also means tackling root causes of crime with youth programs, violence interruption, and mental health and addiction services.
As block club co-chair, I know how consistent dialogue with community officers helps build trust and solve issues. I also back programs like the Ohio City Ambassadors, who provide needed eyes on the street. And I support co-responder and alternative responder programs so social workers and mental health professionals can handle appropriate emergencies.
We need an all-of-the-above housing agenda to meet the moment. If we don’t ensure that there are homes for all members of our community, then we will lose the incredible cultural vibrancy that has made the Near West Side such a great place to live in the first place.
I believe that an increased supply and a strong diversity of all kinds of housing—not just luxury apartments, not just single-family homes—would ensure that more people at more life stages and more income levels can keep calling our diverse neighborhoods home. Market-rate, affordable, and public housing: all of it is needed. That means legalizing more housing options, pushing vacant houses and Airbnbs back into the market, and building new affordable homes in our community.
Continuing to invest in our government–to provide essential public services, and to do so well–will increase civic participation over time. The more folks see their government working for them, the more they’ll engage with their government. I believe in local government, and I am committed to supporting all efforts to ensure it keeps delivering.
I’m also committed to meeting residents where they are. Families and working people are busy, and they’re not always able to offer their perspective when meetings are during dinner time on a school night. That’s why I’ll keep knocking on doors, showing up at block parties, participating in community events, and having real conversations—so we’re shaping the future of this ward with everyone.
Housing costs are one of the biggest pain points for all of us, and particularly younger folks. The American Dream is out of reach when most of your paycheck has to go to housing–and these days, the idea of owning your own home can feel like it’ll never happen.
Rent is rising faster than wages in the United States. And in Cleveland, rent and property values are increasing at among the highest rates in the country. That means less housing for your paycheck and less of your paycheck in your pocket.
Nowhere is that felt harder than here on the Near West Side. And that’s why this campaign is so focused on bringing more housing in our community–to bend the cost curves and reduce the intense pressures that have hit all of us so hard.
Beyond the housing crisis: safe, walkable streets are essential for a thriving and connected community like ours. Every resident deserves to enjoy our neighborhoods and travel safely—whether you're 8 weeks old or 80 years old, whether you use a stroller or a wheelchair, and whether you’re walking, biking, or taking transit.
But in 2024, cars hit 603 people in Cleveland–up from 550 in 2023, and with our Near West Side neighborhoods disproportionately impacted.
That's why I strongly support deploying more traffic-calming measures: more speed tables, curb extensions, roundabouts, and raised crosswalks. I’ll also advocate for reduced speed limits, truck prohibitions on our residential streets, and enhanced traffic code enforcement.
Age
38
Education
Cuyahoga County Community College, Cleveland State University, Valparaiso University School of Law
Qualifications for office
Proud Detroit-Shoreway homeowner, graduate of Tri-C & Cleveland State University, & registered Democrat. Attorney fighting for consumer protection & corporate accountability, hoping to bring the values of accessibility, transparency, & courage to Cleveland city council. Experienced coalition-builder who solves problems through listening, seeking to boldly represent the diverse & passionate residents of Cleveland’s new Ward 7.
Campaign Phone
216-544-5744
Current occupation
Enterprise Risk Management Attorney
Mohammad Faraj’s approach to Reliable Public Safety strives to prevent the type of desperation that leads to crime, which includes both all residents feeling like CPD is dependable AND the police force being in compliance with the consent decree. The urgency to finally be in compliance – and keep it that way – is imperative not only because it’s costing taxpayers $5.5 million every year but also because unconstitutional policing actually makes our communities less safe. Mohammad intends to pursue a role on the city’s Safety Committee in order to ensure an end to excessive, unconstitutional force and search and seizure.
Mohammad Faraj’s campaign operates from the perspective that access to affordable housing is a matter of reliable public safety, as he’s focused on addressing the root causes of desperation that lead to crime. This means that he intends to fight against displacement and exploitation, which includes advocating for Ward 7 residents in public housing, long-term residents struggling to afford their rents or mortgages, and seniors unable to afford their increased property taxes. Solutions include options for property tax relief at the local level, increased access to low-interest capital for first-time homebuyers, and a strongly supported labor market to ensure our homeowners and renters can sustain a life right here in Cleveland.
In Cleveland, leadership often operates on the illusion of inclusion, which has unfortunately eviscerated trust between elected officials and the public. Input, feedback, and participation from residents is so important that he has built it into his campaign priorities and commitments. Being available and accessible for residents is how Mohammad can remain aware of the problems they are experiencing, which includes a direct understanding of how those problems are making them feel. Mohammad commits to hosting consistent and far-reaching town halls but also hosting regularly scheduled office hours with purposeful outreach to connect with the Ward’s most disenfranchised. He also intends to serve as a guardian of Cleveland’s public comment.
Mohammad’s approach to economic opportunity is as follows: union apprenticeships and workforce development, equitably negotiated Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs), and increased oversight of Tax Increment Financing (TIFs) agreements. Strong organized labor is part of Cleveland’s past, present, and most certainly needs to be part of its future, especially for our youth. Most of the economic development in Cleveland is subsidized under the calculation that it will help create opportunity, and so Mohammad believes it’s imperative that the agreements negotiated with those subsidies include benefits that are invested in the community. Anything from improved playgrounds to Block Party sponsorship to after-school program funding.
After knocking on nearly 4,000 doors, Mohammad has seen and heard first-hand the diverse needs of the new Ward 7 residents. At the same time, there are themes emerging regarding the need for accessible city services, dependable infrastructure, and reliable public safety. But first and foremost, Mohammad seeks to be a vocal advocate for the residents and the taxpayers and base every decision as it pertains to the Cleveland budget on valuing collective, political power that doesn’t define itself by exploitation, extraction, or destruction.
