After two members of the Democrats' "squad" suffered primary defeats, Minnesota's Ilhan Omar has managed to break the streak for the progressive group of lawmakers, fending off several challengers in her own primary on Tuesday. Now, as she moves to the general elections in November, the Representative is likely to face little opposition.
Omar comfortably defeated former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels, who had lost to her by just 2 percentage points in the 2022 primary, as well as two other challengers in Minnesota's 5th District, NBC News reported.
The Representative is part of a group of several lawmakers of color on the far left of the Democratic Party who were elected to the House midway through former President Donald Trump's administration in 2018. Other household names of the group include Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts.
After winning her primary, the progressive Democrat will face off Dalia al-Aqidi, a pro-Israel, Iraq-born journalist who ran on the GOP side unopposed.
Nevertheless, as Omar officially gets herself on the ticket, she will likely face little opposition from al-Aqidi in the general elections. Although no official polls between the two candidates have been released, Democrats have a major voter registration advantage over Republicans in Minnesota's 5th congressional District, according to NPR.
The 5th Congressional District in Minnesota includes Minneapolis, as well as the suburbs of Brooklyn Center, St. Louis park, Richfield, Crystal, Robbinsdale, Golden Valley, New Hope and Fridley.
Omar's victory breaks a summer streak that saw major losses for the progressive group. Reps. Jamaal Bowman of New York and Cori Bush of Missouri lost their respective primaries in recent weeks that centered the Democratic Party's split over the Israel-Hamas war.
Unlike the primaries for Bush and Bowman, Omar's race did not draw the involvement of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) despite her vocal criticism of the war in Gaza.
Similarly, the United Democracy Project, a super PAC tied to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the pro-Israel lobbying group, did not engage in Omar's race after having spent millions to defeat the two other Squad members.
Nevertheless, Omar continued to focus on outraising and outspending her opponent. As of July 24, her campaign had spent more than $6.1 million in the race, according to NBC News. At the same point in the 2022 primary, her campaign had spent just $71,000.
The Minnesota Representative also sought to focus on positive messaging— rather than her views on the war in Gaza— highlighting President Joe Biden's praise for her work, her support for reproductive rights and her background.
"Minnesota might be cold, but those who call this place home, you are warm, caring, hardworking, resilient and proud," she said in one of her TV ads. "You welcomed me as a refugee. You taught me the power of organizing and democracy. You are who I fight for every day to deliver food security, affordable housing and health care."
Omar was born in Somalia and is one of two Muslim women (along with Michigan's Rashida Tlaib) to serve in the House. They have both faced intense backlash for their pro-Palestinian stances.
Earlier this year, Omar showed support for pro-Palestinian protesters at a Columbia University encampment, suggesting some Jewish students were "pro-genocide." Her daughter had been one of several students who were suspended for participating in the encampment, according to The New York Times.
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