2024-08-14 19:10:02
Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar has fended off a primary election challenge in Minnesota, avoiding a fate met by other members of her political “Squad”.
Ms Omar faced three challengers in the primary contest to determine the party’s nominee, and will now continue on to the November election in the state’s solidly Democratic-leaning 5th District.
The race had been closely watched after successful primary challengers elsewhere took down two fellow members of the “Squad” – a group of progressive Democrats who have been among the most vocal critics in Congress of Israel’s war in Gaza.
“We run the politics of joy,” Ms Omar told supporters on Tuesday.
She went on to say this was a case of fighting for healthcare, housing, and for a “peaceful and equitable world”.
Hers was one of several primary races on Tuesday in Connecticut, Wisconsin and Vermont, as well as Minnesota. Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar also won her own primary in Minnesota.
Ms Omar won her contest with more than 67,000 votes – or 56% of the overall share – according to tallies reported by US outlets, which say 99% of votes have been counted.
Coming second was Don Samuels, a former member of the Minneapolis City Council who also narrowly lost to Ms Omar in 2022.
He received just under 43% of the votes this time and said he was “very disappointed”.
Earlier this month, fellow “Squad” member Cori Bush of Missouri lost her primary race, and in June, Jamaal Bowman in New York was also defeated – both after pro-Israel groups poured millions into those races backing other Democrats.
The pair were elected in 2020 amid a year marked by racial justice protests after the killing in Minneapolis of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man.
Ms Omar did not suffer the same downfall as her political peers.
A so-called super-pac operated by the pro-Israel group American Israel Public Affairs Committee appears to have stayed out of her race. It had spent millions in races against Mr Bowman and Ms Bush, according to data from Open Secrets, which tracks money in politics.
Super-pacs are independent political action committees that can raise unlimited amounts of money to support an election candidate.
The Intercept reported on Sunday that a last-minute effort by wealthy pro-Israel donors raised six-figure sums to help Mr Samuels.
But opinion polls had been suggesting Ms Omar would fend off the challenge. One internal poll taken last month reportedly indicated she was ahead by 30 points.
Ms Omar has received help on the campaign trail from progressive Senator Bernie Sanders and Vice-President Kamala Harris, who is running for president.
Ms Omar, who was born in Somalia, is one of the first Muslims to be elected to the US Congress.
She had been an outspoken critic of Israel even before the war in Gaza.
She was removed by the Republican-controlled House from the House Foreign Affairs Committee in February 2023 over a number of comments she had made about Israel.
Democrats and Ms Omar said at the time it was revenge, after two Republicans were ousted from committees in 2020 when Democrats held a House majority.
In 2019, Ms Omar seemed to suggest that Israel demanded “allegiance” from American lawmakers and that any criticism is viewed was antisemitic. She implied money was behind the support for Israel.
Ms Omar apologised for those remarks.
