Maad
Abu-Ghazalah
Libertarian challenger Maad Abu-Ghazalah runs for U.S. House in North Carolina's 7th Congressional District in 2026
- sources
- 7
- positions
- 8
- endorsements
- 2
Background
Maad Abu-Ghazalah is a Palestinian-American software consultant and Libertarian candidate running for U.S. House in North Carolina's 7th Congressional District in the November 2026 general election. He was born in Nablus in the West Bank, grew up in Saudi Arabia, and came to the United States for higher education, earning a B.S. in mathematics from the University of Notre Dame, an M.S. in computer science from the University of Virginia, and a law degree from Santa Clara University. 129
Abu-Ghazalah spent roughly 30 years as a small-business owner, building a patent-law software startup in Silicon Valley and selling it in 2012. He subsequently founded an animal-rescue nonprofit called Daily Hugz in the West Bank. As of the 2026 campaign, he describes his occupation as software consultant. 129
He has previously sought federal office, running as a Libertarian in California's 12th Congressional District in 2002 and, according to the News & Observer, again in 2004. 114151613 He is challenging incumbent Republican David Rouzer in the 2026 race and is not the incumbent. 1
At a glance
- Party
- Libertarian
- Running for
- U.S. House · District 7, North Carolina
- Election
- Nov 3, 2026
- Current office
- Software consultant
- Website
- getmaad.org(opens in a new tab)
Where they stand
Each position links to the page it was drawn from. Quotes are verbatim.
Timeline
- Oct 10newsAbu-Ghazalah calls for paper ballot trails, fewer third-party barriers, and opposes data center subsidies
Also in the News & Observer questionnaire, Abu-Ghazalah said he wanted a paper trail for every vote, fewer barriers for third-party candidates, and opposed subsidies for data centers citing consumer costs, water use, and surveillance concerns.
Two NC challengers' views on immigration, ‘forever wars' and the economy · Oct 10, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Oct 10newsAbu-Ghazalah outlines policy positions on budget, immigration, and foreign policy in News & Observer questionnaire
In a questionnaire published by The News & Observer, Abu-Ghazalah identified balancing the budget and reducing debt as a key priority, called for ending 'forever wars,' opposed physical brutality by ICE while also opposing illegal residency, sought to treat immigration violations as civil matters, and called for investigations into government profiteering and foreign/corporate lobbying influence.
Two NC challengers' views on immigration, ‘forever wars' and the economy · Oct 10, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Sep 30newsAbu-Ghazalah confirmed as Libertarian candidate in NC-7 alongside Hardy and Rouzer
WECT reported that Maad Abu-Ghazalah, Democrat Kimberly Hardy, and incumbent Republican David Rouzer are the three candidates in the NC-7 race, with the general election set for Nov. 3 and early in-person voting scheduled for Oct. 15–31.
VOTE 2026: Meet the candidates running for the District 7 ... · Sep 30, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Sep 30filingAbu-Ghazalah submits written answers to NC-7 candidate questionnaire
Abu-Ghazalah responded to a questionnaire distributed by WECT, Port City Daily, The Seahawk, and WHQR, providing his positions on issues relevant to the district.
VOTE 2026: Meet the candidates running for the District 7 ... · Sep 30, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Sep 30filingFEC filings show Abu-Ghazalah raised $7,948 and has $279 cash on hand
A race-tracking page citing FEC filings reported Abu-Ghazalah raised $7,948, spent $7,669, and had $279 cash on hand through Sept. 30. Reporting cutoffs differ across candidates, so figures are not directly comparable.
North Carolina's 7th District Race 2026: Who's Running (NC-7) · Oct 3, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Aug 19pollPoll shows Abu-Ghazalah at 3% in NC-7 three-way race
A Public Policy Polling survey (Aug. 19–20, n=517 likely voters), commissioned by Kimberly Hardy's campaign, showed Rouzer at 45%, Hardy at 39%, and Abu-Ghazalah at 3%, with 13% undecided. In a two-way version excluding Abu-Ghazalah, Rouzer led 49%–43%.
NC-7 2026 House forecast - FutureBallot · Oct 11, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
Endorsements
- The Civic Table (group recommendation via Sway) organizationSway lists 'The Civic Table' as recommending Abu-Ghazalah along with Kimberly Hardy and David Rouzer in the NC-7 race. Described as a group recommendation, not necessarily a formal endorsement. No separate date shown; Sway's race page was last updated October 8, 2026. sway.co
- Libertarian Party Candidates (group recommendation via Sway) organizationSway lists the 'Libertarian Party Candidates' group as recommending Abu-Ghazalah in the NC-7 race. Described as a group recommendation, not necessarily a formal endorsement. No separate date shown; Sway's race page was last updated October 8, 2026. sway.co
Campaign finance
Totals filed with the Federal Election Commission for the 2026 election cycle.
- Raised
- $7,948
- Spent
- $7,669
- Cash on hand
- $279
As of Sep 30, 2026. Filings are periodic, so recent money may not be included yet. ↳ FEC record H6NC07204(opens in a new tab)
Sources 7
- [1] NC-7 2026 House forecast - FutureBallot(opens in a new tab) Oct 11, 2026
- [2] Two NC challengers' views on immigration, ‘forever wars' and the economy(opens in a new tab) Oct 10, 2026
- [3] U.S. House of Representatives - North Carolina 7th ...(opens in a new tab) Oct 8, 2026
- [4] North Carolina's 7th District Race 2026: Who's Running (NC-7)(opens in a new tab) Oct 3, 2026
- [5] Libertarian challenger Maad Abu-Ghazalah is running for ...(opens in a new tab) Oct 1, 2026
- [6] VOTE 2026: Meet the candidates running for the District 7 ...(opens in a new tab) Sep 30, 2026
- [7] Maad Abu-Ghazalah - US House NC District 7 - Libertarian ...(opens in a new tab) Jul 23, 2026