‘SQUAD’ GOALS

Ilhan Omar Easily Fends Off Primary Challenge Rematch

Omar avoided the fate of two other members of the so-called “Squad”: Reps. Jamaal Bowman of New York and Missouri’s Cori Bush, who were both ousted in recent weeks.

Rep. Ilhan Omar fended off her primary challenger, Don Samuels, on Tuesday in a rematch of 2022’s race—all but ensuring that she will win re-election in November in Minnesota’s heavily Democratic 5th Congressional District, which includes Minneapolis.

With more than 95 percent of the votes in, Omar was ahead with 56 percent of the vote to her opponent’s 43 percent. That margin was considerably larger than the contest two years ago, which saw Samuels, a former Minneapolis City Council member, come within 2,500 votes of victory.

Omar avoided the fate of two other progressive “Squad” members, Reps. Jamaal Bowman of New York and Missouri’s Cori Bush, who each succumbed to more moderate candidates in primaries held in recent weeks.

Unlike in those races, Omar’s didn’t see a massive influx of cash from pro-Israel groups like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which had a hand in ousting her colleagues. Omar has been one of the more vocal critics of how Israel has used its military in Gaza, and was one of the first to call for a ceasefire.

With the support of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Omar developed a substantial fundraising advantage over Samuels, and pitched herself in campaign ads as a “progressive leader delivering for Minnesota.” She also touted her record standing up for abortion rights in the wake of Roe v. Wade being overturned.

In the general election, Omar will face Republican Dalia al-Aqidi, an Iraqi-born immigrant with a background in journalism.

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William VaillancourtReporter

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