Rep. Ilhan Omar Defends Her Seat in Minnesota Primary Election

On August 14, Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar, a founding member of the progressive group known as the Squad, declared her victory in her primary race. Unofficial results indicate she successfully secured the Democratic nomination for the 5th District of Minnesota.

After the results were announced, Omar took to social media, stating, “Tonight, special interests lost and our movement won. This seat is for all of us. I will continue to take our hopes and dreams to the People’s House.”

With all precincts reporting, Omar achieved 56.2% of the vote, translating to nearly 68,000 ballots. She surpassed Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels, who garnered about 52,000 votes, constituting 43% of the total. Two other candidates in the race, Nate Schluter and Abena McKenzie, received less than 0.5% of the votes cast.

This election marks the second instance where Omar has bested Samuels for the Democratic nomination, achieving a wider margin than in their previous face-off in 2022, where she won by merely 2,500 votes.

Her triumph is particularly significant given recent setbacks for two other Squad members—Reps. Jamaal Bowman from New York and Cori Bush from Missouri—who lost their nominations amid internal Democratic Party conflicts concerning the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

Bowman faced defeat in late June against George Latimer, a 70-year-old Westchester County Executive, who drew support from Jewish leaders dissatisfied with Bowman’s critical stance on Israel and his advocacy for the Palestinian cause.

Similarly, Bush’s criticisms of Israel resulted in her race being heavily funded, with over $9 million channeled into her opponent’s campaign. In total, Bush and Bell’s contest saw approximately $19 million spent, with the United Democracy Project contributing upwards of $9.2 million against Bush.

In stark contrast, the Minnesota 5th District primary was one of the less expensive races, with total advertising spending capped at about $3 million. Of this, a significant portion—92%—was attributed to Omar’s campaign, while the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) reportedly spent only $19,000 to oppose her.

Overall, over $54 million has been invested in races involving Squad members this election cycle. Omar’s victory sets the stage for her upcoming match against Dalia Al-Aqidi, who ran uncontested for the Republican nomination.

Originally, the Squad consisted of Rep. Omar along with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from New York, Rashida Tlaib from Michigan, and Ayanna Pressley from Massachusetts. Over time, it expanded to include Bowman, Bush, and several other progressive lawmakers.