Ilhan Omar, a prominent member of the progressive “Squad,” has successfully defended her seat in the primary elections in Minnesota, avoiding the fate of other Squad members who faced defeats. This election was especially monitored due to recent successful challenges faced by other progressive figures.
Omar faced three opponents in her primary contest and will now advance to the November elections in Minnesota’s heavily Democratic 5th District. She emphasized that her campaign was focused on issues like healthcare, housing, and striving for “a peaceful and equitable world.”
Her victory was part of several primary races held on Tuesday in states like Connecticut, Wisconsin, Vermont, and Minnesota, where Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar also secured her primary win. Omar received over 67,000 votes, accounting for 56% of the total, with reports indicating that nearly all ballots had been counted.
Coming in second was Don Samuels, a former Minneapolis City Council member who previously lost to Omar in 2022. He garnered just under 43% of the vote and expressed his disappointment in the results.
In contrast to Omar, fellow Squad members Cori Bush and Jamaal Bowman were ousted from their races earlier this year, a shift attributed to significant backing from pro-Israel groups that invested heavily in those contests.
Omar’s success can be partly attributed to the absence of substantial support from pro-Israel political action committees during her race. Reports suggested that a last-minute fundraising effort was made to aid Samuels, but internal polling indicated Omar had a strong lead of about 30 points.
Notable figures such as Senator Bernie Sanders and Vice President Kamala Harris have supported Omar on the campaign trail. Omar, who was born in Somalia, is among the first Muslims elected to the US Congress and has been a vocal critic of Israel, even before the recent Gaza conflict. Her contentious remarks about Israel have led to political backlash, including her removal from the House Foreign Affairs Committee earlier this year, a move her supporters denounced as retribution.