Mohammad Faraj

Mohammad Faraj

Nonpartisan

Candidate, Cleveland City Council Ward 7

Elections and appointments

Last election

September 9, 2025

Education

High school

Westlake Public High School

Associate

Cuyahoga Community College, 2007

Bachelor's

Cleveland State University, 2011

Law

Valparaiso University School of Law, 2016

Personal

Birthplace

North Olmsted, Ohio

Religion

Muslim

Profession

Attorney

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Instagram

Mohammad Faraj ran for election to the Cleveland City Council to represent Ward 7 in Ohio. He was on the ballot in the primary on September 9, 2025.^[source]

Faraj completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Mohammad Faraj was born in North Olmsted, Ohio. He earned a high school diploma from Westlake Public High School, an associate degree from Cuyahoga Community College in 2007, a bachelor's degree from Cleveland State University in 2011, and a law degree from the Valparaiso University School of Law in 2016. Faraj's career experience includes working as an attorney.

Elections

2025

See also: City elections in Cleveland, Ohio (2025)

General election

The primary occurred on September 9, 2025. The general election will occur on November 4, 2025. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Cleveland City Council Ward 7

Austin Davis, Mohammad Faraj, and Mike Rogalski ran in the primary for Cleveland City Council Ward 7 on September 9, 2025.

		Candidate
		Austin Davis (Nonpartisan)
		Mohammad Faraj (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Mike Rogalski (Nonpartisan)

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	There are no incumbents in this race. The outcome of this election has not been called yet.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Meagan Meehan (Nonpartisan)
• Michael Africa (Nonpartisan)

Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

Campaign themes

2025

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Mohammad Faraj completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Faraj's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Mohammad Faraj – Detroit-Shoreway resident, dedicated attorney, and experienced coalition-builder – is running for Cleveland city council in the new Ward 7. He is running to improve the everyday lives of every resident and committed to the belief that local government should be accessible, dependable, and reliable.

Mohammad grew up in North Olmsted, attended Tri-C and Cleveland State University, and eventually returned to Cleveland after graduating law school. As the proud son of immigrants from Palestine, his parents taught him and his 7 siblings that freedom and liberty aren’t just for those who agree with you.

Mohammad’s first bid for public office is accompanied by a background in accountability, oversight, and problem-solving—a skill set Mohammad believes Cleveland needs most right now.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Mohammad Faraj’s campaign to improve the everyday lives of every resident starts with something simple—the taxes we pay should translate into well-run services for all. Mohammad considers this his Accessible City Services priority, which includes commitments such as availability for Residents, supported public transportation, and enhanced cybersecurity at city hall.
• Mohammad Faraj believes Cleveland’s definition of infrastructure must originate from a public health perspective. According to Mohammad, prioritizing Dependable Infrastructure means championing lead-free communities, fighting for clean air for all neighborhoods, and celebrating some of Cleveland’s greatest natural assets, including the freshwater of Lake Erie and the economic vitality of the Cuyahoga River.
• Mohammad Faraj’s approach to Reliable Public Safety strives to prevent the type of desperation that leads to crime. Ensuring people have stable housing does, in fact, make us all safer. The ability to roam your block freely without being struck by a speeding car is an achievement that benefits all of us. And opportunities for neighbors to get to know each other recognizes that celebrating community ultimately builds safety.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Mohammad cares strongly about ensuring a robust general operating budget that supports accessible city services for all residents. He also feels passionate about right-ing the public health wrongs that have plagued Cleveland’s infrastructure for generations, which includes severe lead-poisoning and air pollution. Finally, as the son of a small business owner, Mohammad is dedicated to supporting the type of economic development incentives that center small businesses.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Mohammad wants to change how the government listens. He wants to challenge the assumptions our leaders make about what and who gets prioritized. Mohammad believes that right now our leaders are more interested in selling us their preferred solutions, as opposed to working with us to understand our problems. City Council is Cleveland’s legislative authority, which means its power and voice should come from the residents—not the mayor, not city insiders, but everyday taxpayers and residents. And so Mohammad is running to improve the everyday lives of every resident, which means a steadfast commitment to ensure every decision Cleveland government makes is based on accessibility, transparency, and courage.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Mohammad started working at his father's family business at ten, first as a delivery helper and then as a manager during college. It was during those years that Mohammad developed a deep appreciation for the many dedicated neighbors and small businesses of the overall near-west community. He recalls the opening of the Walmart Supercenter in Steelyard Commons and the impact the chain’s presence had on the surrounding neighborhoods and Cleveland’s overall small business economy.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

While many associate city council with its primary responsibility of approving the city budget, Mohammad believes council’s most significant role is to provide oversight on behalf of the residents. City council is the elected body of closest proximity to the taxpayer, which means Mohammad’s duty is to ensure every cent of taxpayer money translates into tangible improvements in our everyday lives. Advocating for and advancing policy that helps all Cleveland residents is important, but Mohammad understands that it's the residents of Ward 7 that he is elected to serve.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

Mohammad believes the most relevant experience for those serving on city council is a commitment to accountability, transparency, and courage. While policy is important, true success on city council comes from the ability to navigate relationships and meet folks where they’re at. Voters aren’t interested in electing anymore insiders but instead are seeking candidates that are of the community, with the community, and for the community.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

Mohammad Faraj describes his call-to-action as being based on the shared need for all residents to feel heard, seen, and valued. He believes that the residents of Cleveland’s Ward 7 deserve a councilmember who is going to listen to their problems rather than sell them a solution. Accountability, oversight, and problem-solving — the basis of Mohammad’s professional and advocacy work — are the most important skills for Cleveland city council.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Mohammad Faraj is endorsed by Ohio Working Families Party, Run For Something, and the North East Ohio Democratic Veterans Caucus.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Candidate

Cleveland City Council Ward 7

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