Rep. Ilhan Omar wins contentious primary election in Minnesota
▻https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/08/11/rep-ilhan-omar-wins-contentious-primary-election-minnesota/3347623001
WASHINGTON – Several primary elections happened around the country Tuesday, but perhaps none gathered the attention as much as Rep. Ilhan Omar’s competitive Democratic primary in her bid for reelection in Minnesota, where she emerged victorious.
Omar, a former state representative, was elected during the 2018 midterms as part of the “Blue Wave” that hit the U.S. Capitol, and she gained a national profile as a leading progressive voice in the House of Representatives.
She was challenged by Antone Melton-Meaux, a Black lawyer and mediator, who raised millions of dollars, nearly matching Omar overall and outraising her in the most recent cycle.
Melton-Meaux trailed significantly with more than 90% of the vote counted, leading him to concede.
Tuesday’s primaries: Ilhan Omar fights for political survival and QAnon believer hopes to join the House
Omar tweeted Tuesday night: "In Minnesota, we know that organized people will always beat organized money. Tonight, our movement didn’t just win. We earned a mandate for change. Despite outside efforts to defeat us, we once again broke turnout records.
“It has been the honor of my life to represent you in Congress and I look forward to continuing to serve the people of the 5th District in the years to come,” she continued.
Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District is strongly Democratic, and Omar will likely go on to victory in November.
Omar was born in Somalia and came with her family to America as a refugee in the early 1990s. She and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., were the first Muslim women ever elected to Congress.
Omar and Tlaib, along with Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., came to be known collectively as “the Squad” – first-term congresswomen, all women of color, who established themselves as perhaps the four most progressive members in the House.
Ilhan Omar
@IlhanMN
4:23 AM · 12 août 2020
▻https://twitter.com/IlhanMN/status/1293372617957740544
In Minnesota, we know that organized people will always beat organized money.
Tonight, our movement didn’t just win. We earned a mandate for change. Despite outside efforts to defeat us, we once again broke turnout records.
Despite the attacks, our support has only grown.