In a historic first for New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District, a broad coalition of Muslim civic and advocacy organizations hosted a CD-12 Candidate Forum on Super Bowl Sunday at the Muslim Center of Greater Princeton, drawing nearly 200 attendees from both the Muslim community and the broader public.
The forum was organized by CAIR Action NJ, Emgage Action, and the NJ Muslim Civic Coalition Activate, in partnership with American Muslims for Democracy (AMD), New Jersey Muslim Lawyers Association (NJMLA), CAIR-NJ, ICNA Social Council for Justice, NJ Muslim League of Voters, and NJ Muslim Voters for Progress.
SEE: Recording of the candidate forum.
All 20 candidates who have filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) for the CD-12 race were formally invited to participate. Twelve candidates attended and engaged directly with constituents in a robust discussion covering key issues including healthcare, economy, military spending, foreign policy, immigration, reparations, and campaign funding. The candidates who attended included Mayor Adrian Mapp, Commissioner Shanel Robinson, Iziah Thompson, Michael Lawrence, Squire Servance, Sam Wang, Dr. Adam Hamawy, Andres Jinete, Kyle Little, Elijah Dixon, Sujit Singh, and Jay Vaingankar.
In two powerful hand-raising questions that were asked by the respective moderators Councilwoman Eman Badawi of Cranbury and Omar Abuattieh, a 2026 Rhodes scholar from Rutgers University, nearly all candidates raised their hands setting the stage for what has become the most crowded race in NJ.
One question was: “Raise your hand if you publicly reject campaign contributions from foreign interest lobbies (such as AIPAC, NORPAC, DMFI) and any of their associated PACS?” Eleven out of twelve candidates raised their hands. The community so eagerly watched the long table of candidates seated and yet another community concern was raised in the form of the following question: “The United Nations Commission of Inquiry and over a dozen international human rights organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Doctor’s Without Borders, have stated that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. By a show of hands, do you agree?” Once again all but one candidate raised their hands, a powerful testament of the overwhelmingly increasing pro-justice sentiment across our state.
Organizers described the event as a milestone moment for civic engagement within the district.
“This forum reflects the growing civic participation and political engagement of Muslim voters and allied communities in New Jersey,” said Omayma Mansour from CAIR Action NJ. “Providing a platform where candidates can directly address the concerns of our communities strengthens democracy and ensures voters are informed ahead of the upcoming election.”
The discussion allowed candidates to present their policy positions, respond to community concerns, and outline their priorities if elected to represent CD-12 in Congress. Attendees had the opportunity to hear from a diverse slate of candidates in a single setting, fostering transparency and accountability.
Despite taking place on Super Bowl Sunday, the event saw strong turnout, underscoring the high level of interest in the race and the issues affecting residents across the district.
Organizers emphasized that the forum was nonpartisan and focused on encouraging civic participation, voter education, and community dialogue.
As the CD-12 race continues, the coalition reaffirmed its commitment to engaging voters, increasing turnout, and ensuring that elected officials are responsive to the needs of all constituents.