Wissam Charafeddine is running as a Green Party candidate for the Michigan State Board of Education in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. Voters will choose two board members.

He is one of 10 candidates listed in Washtenaw County’s official candidate records. The others are Democrats Judith Pritchett and Tiffany Tilley; Republicans Bree Moeggenberg and Terence Collins; Libertarian Charles Essner; U.S. Taxpayers candidates Christine C. Schwartz and William Mohr II; Working Class candidate Mary Anne Hering; and Natural Law candidate Kelli Monroe.

Charafeddine responded to the Lansing Letter candidate questionnaire on Sept. 30. Unless otherwise noted, the information and responses below come from that questionnaire.

Asked why he is running, he cited his experience in education, engineering, entrepreneurship and community advocacy.

“My experience as an educator, engineer, entrepreneur, and community advocate has shown me both the promise of our schools and the gaps that still leave too many students behind,” he said.

Candidate information

Party: Green Party.

Education: Charafeddine said he holds a master’s degree in software engineering from the University of Michigan–Dearborn and completed high school in Canada.

Family: He has three children, whom he described as being in college or beginning their independent adult lives.

Family in politics or government: He said no immediate family member currently works in politics or government, to his knowledge.

Experience and public service

Occupation and work history: Charafeddine described himself as a software engineer, entrepreneur, educator and community advocate. He said he founded and serves as CEO of W Institute and wCode, developing programs focused on youth, leadership and computer science.

His experience includes software engineering, business development, sales, nonprofit leadership, and family and community engagement. He also cited managing technology and wireless businesses, mentoring students and working with schools and community organizations across Metro Detroit.

Previous elected office: Charafeddine said he has not held elected public office. He serves as a co-chair of the Green Party of the United States’ Steering Committee, a role confirmed by the party’s leadership page.

Accomplishments: He cited building organizations, managing teams and developing educational programs as preparation for the board.

“I have built and led organizations, managed teams, developed educational programs, and worked directly with students, families, and community institutions,” he said.

On the issues

Most pressing challenge facing students: Charafeddine said schools must ensure students have strong academic foundations and skills for a changing economy. He identified literacy, mathematics, attendance and unequal access to opportunities as concerns.

He supports evidence-based literacy and math instruction, intervention for struggling students, stronger family engagement and greater support for teachers. His priorities also include computer science, responsible artificial intelligence literacy, career and technical education, digital citizenship and student-data privacy.

Balancing competing priorities: Charafeddine said academic achievement, mental health, safety and teacher support should reinforce one another. He supports competitive teacher compensation, improved working conditions and fewer unnecessary administrative burdens.

“As a Board member, I would insist that programs be evaluated by measurable results,” he said.

What sets him apart: Charafeddine cited his combination of engineering, entrepreneurship, education and community leadership. He said he would work across political divisions and assess proposals by their educational impact.

“I also bring the perspective of a Green Party candidate rather than one of the two major parties,” he said. “I intend to approach Board decisions independently, work across political divisions, and evaluate proposals according to their educational impact rather than partisan loyalty.”

Best advice he has received: Charafeddine’s answer was “Fail forward.”

“Failure is not the opposite of success; it is often the price of learning, growth, and eventually getting it right,” he said.

This profile draws primarily on Wissam Charafeddine’s responses to the Lansing Letter candidate questionnaire, with additional information from official election records and the Green Party’s leadership page. Responses have been excerpted and paraphrased; direct quotations retain his wording.