Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.

Mustafa Abdo

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Mustafa Abdo
Image of Mustafa Abdo

Candidate, Buffalo Board of Education West District

Elections and appointments
Next election

November 4, 2025

Education

Associate

Erie Community College, 2016

Bachelor's

University at Albany, SUNY, 2018

Graduate

University of Buffalo, 2021

Personal
Profession
Construction professional
Contact

Mustafa Abdo is running for election to the Buffalo Board of Education to represent West District in New York. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025.[source]

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

Biography

Mustafa Abdo earned an associate degree from Erie Community College in 2016. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University at Albany, SUNY in 2018 and a graduate degree from the University of Buffalo in 2021. His career experience includes working as a construction professional and instructional technologist. He has been affiliated with Heal International.[1]

Elections

2025

See also: Buffalo Public Schools, New York, elections (2025)

General election

The general election will occur on November 4, 2025.

General election for Buffalo Board of Education West District

Incumbent Jennifer Mecozzi, Mustafa Abdo, and Talia Rodriguez are running in the general election for Buffalo Board of Education West District on November 4, 2025.

Candidate
Image of Jennifer Mecozzi
Jennifer Mecozzi (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
Image of Mustafa Abdo
Mustafa Abdo (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
Image of Talia Rodriguez
Talia Rodriguez (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

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

2022

See also: Buffalo Public Schools, New York, elections (2022)

General election

General election for Buffalo Board of Education West District

Incumbent Jennifer Mecozzi defeated Mustafa Abdo and Le'Candice Durham in the general election for Buffalo Board of Education West District on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Jennifer Mecozzi
Jennifer Mecozzi (Nonpartisan)
 
50.2
 
2,588
Image of Mustafa Abdo
Mustafa Abdo (Nonpartisan)
 
31.1
 
1,604
Image of Le'Candice Durham
Le'Candice Durham (Nonpartisan)
 
16.6
 
854
 Other/Write-in votes
 
2.1
 
106

Total votes: 5,152
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Campaign themes

2025

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

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

Expand all | Collapse all

My name is Mustafa Abdo, and I am originally from Somalia. Before coming to the United States 17 years ago with my mother and three siblings, I spent 17 years of my life in a refugee camp. Those experiences shaped who I am today and instilled in me a deep commitment to education, community, and resilience.

I currently serve as a District Inspector with the City of Buffalo, a role I have held for the past four years. Prior to this position, I worked as an Instructional Technologist for Online Learning at D’Youville University.

I am a husband, a father of three, and a proud resident of Buffalo. I hold a Master’s degree in Education and Technology from the University at Buffalo and speak three languages: Somali, Arabic, and English.

Beyond my professional work, I dedicate much of my time to volunteering in the community, helping newly arrived families adjust to life in the United States and overcome the challenges of leaving conflict behind to build a brighter future.
  • A Voice for Every Family – As a refugee who spent 17 years in a camp before coming to Buffalo, I understand the challenges families face when navigating education and opportunity. I will make sure all parents and students—no matter their background—are heard and represented.
  • Experience that Serves Our Schools – With a Master’s degree in Education and Technology, and professional experience as both an Instructional Technologist and a City Inspector, I bring skills in problem-solving, accountability, and innovation that will strengthen our school system.
  • Committed to Student Success – As a husband and father of three, I know firsthand the importance of safe, supportive, high-quality schools. I will work tirelessly to ensure every child in Buffalo has the tools, resources, and opportunities to succeed.
Educational Equity & Access

Family & Community Engagement

Safe & Healthy Schools
The person I look up to most is my mother. She raised me and my siblings under incredibly difficult circumstances, including 17 years in a refugee camp, before bringing us to the United States. Her strength, resilience, and commitment to family taught me the values of perseverance, hard work, and compassion — values I carry with me every day in my life, my work, and my service to the community.
my first very first job was in the line production warehouse as order filler.
In my view, the primary job of a school board member is to serve as a voice for students, families, and the community while ensuring that our schools provide a safe, high-quality education for every child.
An effective strategy involves building relationships, fostering inclusive environments, recruiting diverse staff, and engaging the entire community in the process
As a school board member, I believe parents are essential partners in their children’s education. To build strong relationships, I will:

Listen and Engage: Hold regular community forums, attend school events, and create open-door opportunities where parents can share their concerns and ideas.

Improve Communication: Advocate for clear, consistent, and multilingual communication between schools and families so every parent stays informed and included.

Empower Parents: Encourage parent participation in school decision-making, advisory committees, and volunteer opportunities, ensuring their voices shape the direction of our schools.

By building trust, listening carefully, and keeping communication open, I will work to make parents true partners in student success.

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.

2022

Mustafa Abdo did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

See also


External links

Footnotes

  1. Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on September 3, 2025