'Squad' member Ilhan Omar wins Minnesota Democratic primary
4 Min Read
Tuesday's election has marked the final contest in a series of intense primaries for the progressive "Squad" of House Democrats, who have been outspoken in their criticism of "Israel's" genocide in Gaza.
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US Rep. Ilhan Omar speaks during a news conference by the Congressional Progressive Caucus on the threat of default, May 24, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP)
Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota has secured victory in the state Democratic primary for her seat, as reported by AP.
This win comes in a rematch against Don Samuels, two years after she narrowly defeated him. With results from 216 out of 217 precincts tallied, Omar is currently ahead of Samuels with 56.2% of the vote compared to his 42.9%, according to figures from the Minnesota Secretary of State.
Congratulations to Ilhan Omar on her primary re-election!@IlhanMN's victory is a reflection of the progressive leadership that Democratic voters want to see in Congress when their elections are not turned into auctions for the highest billionaire bidders. pic.twitter.com/7a0xaNhfmW
— Justice Democrats (@justicedems) August 14, 2024
“We run the politics of joy,” Omar told supporters in Minneapolis on Tuesday evening. “Because we know it is joyful to fight for your neighbors ... We know it is joyful to make sure housing is a human right. We know it is joyful to fight for health care to be a human right. We know it is joyful to want to live in a peaceful and equitable world.”
Why it matters
Tuesday's election marked the final contest in a series of intense primaries for the progressive "Squad" of House Democrats, who have been outspoken in their criticism of "Israel's" genocide in Gaza. Squad members Jamaal Bowman of New York and Cori Bush of Missouri recently lost to candidates backed by significant pro-"Israel" funding. However, AIPAC and comparable organizations have not invested as much funds or time in Omar and Samuels' contest, as according to polls, Omar had a significant advantage.
The two-term congresswoman became Minnesota’s first woman of color in the US House of Representatives in 2019. During her tenure, she has aligned with the Democratic Party’s progressive wing, serving as deputy chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and supporting major progressive initiatives like the Green New Deal and Medicare for All.
Even before the onset of the Israeli genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, Omar had been a prominent critic of "Israel". In 2019, she faced backlash for suggesting that US support for "Israel" was driven by financial contributions from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a comment that led to accusations of "antisemitism".
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As "Israel" intensified its retaliatory actions, Omar was among the first in Congress to advocate for a ceasefire and voiced support for university demonstrations in solidarity with Gaza. Her daughter was even suspended from Barnard College for participating in these protests.
Omar has always been a prime target for pro-"Israel" groups. However, Don Samuels, a former Minneapolis city councilman and Omar's opponent, has not received backing from AIPAC or its affiliated Super PAC, United Democracy Project (UDP). In contrast, UDP spent over $20 million to challenge Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush.
The reasons for the lack of involvement in the Minnesota primary remain unclear, but it’s possible that Omar’s actions did not provide the necessary pretext for such intervention. Despite AIPAC's focus on "Israel", its campaigns against other Squad members have not centered on this issue.
In Bowman’s race, his opponent George Latimer highlighted Bowman’s vote against Joe Biden’s significant infrastructure bill, which many progressive lawmakers opposed to pushing for additional progressive measures. Latimer made this issue central to his campaign against Bowman, while Wesley Bell used a similar strategy against Cori Bush, who also voted against the infrastructure bill.
In contrast, during her primary campaign, Omar has focused on the funds she has secured for her district and even featured Joe Biden in one of her advertisements.
“Congresswoman Omar, I wanna thank you for being here – you never stop working to level the playing field,” Biden says in the ad.
Mark Mellman, director of Democratic Majority for Israel—a pro-"Israel" organization that also opposed Bush and Bowman—has mentioned that the "vulnerability" of a candidate influences the group's decision to engage in a race. Omar enjoys significant popularity in her district, with recent internal polling showing her leading Samuels by 60% to 33%.
Samuels expressed his disappointment over his loss.
“What I was hoping is that a strong ground game and an attention to the details of folks who felt left out would trump an overwhelming superiority in dollars,” he said as quoted by the Associated Press. “Clearly money matters a little more in politics than I had hoped.”
