Maad Hatiz Abu-Ghazalah

Maad Abu‑Ghazalah is the Libertarian Party nominee for the United States House of Representatives in North Carolina’s 7th Congressional District in the 2026 general election. The Libertarian primary for the race was cancelled, and he advanced to the November 3, 2026 ballot alongside Republican incumbent David Rouzer, Democrat Kimberly Hardy, and Independent Michael Henry ¹.

Born in Nablus, Palestine, Abu‑Ghazalah grew up in the Middle East before moving to England for secondary school and later to the United States for higher education. He earned a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from the University of Notre Dame in 1983, a Master of Science in computer science from the University of Virginia in 1985, and a Juris Doctor from Santa Clara University in 1993 ¹²¹⁴.

After law school, Abu‑Ghazalah practiced law and later founded a Silicon Valley startup that created software for patent attorneys. The company was sold to Bloomberg Law in 2012, providing the capital that enabled him to pursue philanthropic work in his homeland. In 2014 he purchased an olive grove in the West Bank village of Asira and established Daily Hugz, an animal sanctuary that rescues and cares for abandoned donkeys, dogs, and other animals while offering educational programs and a safe play space for local children ¹²¹⁹¹⁷.

Abu‑Ghazalah’s political experience dates back to the early 2000s. He ran as the Libertarian candidate for California’s 12th Congressional District in the 2002 general election, receiving 11,006 votes, and later entered the Democratic primary for the same district in 2004, where he lost with 19.9 % of the vote ⁷. He has remained active in third‑party politics, most recently seeking the Libertarian nomination for North Carolina’s 7th District. The Libertarian primary was cancelled, and he automatically advanced to the general election ballot ¹³.

While he has not completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey, Abu‑Ghazalah’s campaign emphasizes typical Libertarian principles such as limited government, individual liberty, and fiscal responsibility. His personal background as a Palestinian‑American entrepreneur, attorney, and animal‑rights advocate informs his public messaging, which highlights both his professional experience and his commitment to humanitarian and environmental causes. The campaign website listed on multiple sources is http://www.maad4congress.org and a later interview directs voters to https://getmaad.org for additional information ¹³¹⁴.

If elected, Abu‑Ghazalah would join the 120th Congress, where the House currently holds a narrow Republican majority. His candidacy adds a third‑party perspective to a district that has historically leaned Republican, offering voters an alternative to the two major parties.

Sources