Representative Ilhan Omar will go on to defend her seat in the general election after defeating her challengers in the primary © Pool
(Minneapolis, MN) – Despite some recent losses within the group, member of the “squad” Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, won her primary in Minnesota. Omar was running against former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels.
Samuels came close to taking the incumbent’s seat away in the 2022 primaries where he lost by only 2 percent of the vote. This time Omar beat him by a much wider margin getting 56% to Samuels 43% of registered democrats. She broke the streak of recent progressive democrats, specifically members of the so-called “squad” who are outspoken critics of Israel, losing their primaries. Jamaal Bowman of New York and Cori Bush of Missouri both lost their races to challengers within their own party. The distinction with this race is Omar was not really lobbied against by The American Israel Public Affairs Committee or AIPAC – probably the most influential pro-Israel group in the country.
Omar’s opponent in the race called her divisive for her comments about the war in Gaza. However she still had the financial edge, and the official endorsement of the state’s democratic party. She also had national support in her race, like Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders who hosted a rally at her former high school. Omar is likely to win the general election come November for Minnesota’s 5th.
