Minnesota: Omar Staves Off Primary Challenge

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Facts

  • US Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota on Tuesday defeated a second straight primary challenge from former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels and will seek her fourth term in Congress in the general election in November.[1][2]
  • In a four-person race in the state's 5th District, Omar garnered more than 67K votes (56%), with 99% of the vote counted. Samuels finished second with 43% of the votes.[2]
  • Omar's win comes after two other members of the progressive group of lawmakers known as the 'Squad' lost House primaries in other states, mostly in the face of millions of dollars contributed to their opponents by pro-Israel groups that oppose 'Squad' members' positions on the war in Gaza.[3]
  • Previously, Democratic Reps. Jamaal Bowman (NY) and Cori Bush (Mo.) lost primaries in June and early August, respectively. Omar didn't face the same level of advertising from the United Democracy Project, a super PAC aligned with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).[4][2]
  • Omar's odds of retaining her seat are said to be strong in a district that's been represented by a Democrat since 1963 and has voted for the Democrat for president in every election since 2000.[5]

Sources: [1]New York Times, [2]BBC News, [3]USA Today, [4]Politico and [5]FOX News.

Narratives

  • Democratic narrative, as provided by The Daily Beast. Omar may buck the Democratic Party line on some issues, but in the bigger picture, she's a progressive who delivers policies that benefit her constituents, including abortion protections that are under attack from Republicans. Omar's popularity showed up in her fundraising and endorsements from prominent Democrats who know it's important to keep her in Congress.
  • Republican narrative, as provided by Daily Wire. What Omar's victory proves is that there's no longer a difference between the Democratic Party and the radical far left. Omar's fundraising and endorsements prove the strength of the far-left and anti-Israel factions in the party — elements that will destroy America if allowed.

Predictions