Ilhan Omar one step closer to Congress after clinching Democratic nod
Ilhan Omar (D), the nation's first Somali-American legislator is one step closer to being the first Somali-American in Congress after winning the Democratic Party nomination for Minnesota's safely blue 5th Congressional District.
The seat was held by Rep. Keith Ellison (D), who also won his Democratic primary for Minnesota attorney general, for 12 years and many project Omar to be the favourite to November's election.
The Associated Press called the race for Ilhan Omar with 93 percent of precincts reporting. She won 48 percent of the vote.
The one-term state
legislator who enjoys strong support from America’s left-wing
progressive groups - including an endorsement from the Democratic
party’s rising star, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - defeated five other
Democratic opponents, some with deeper resume’s, on a campaign against
the ""politics of fear” that has often been used by the White House,
particularly on immigration issues. During her campaign, Ilhan Omar has
been on the receiving end of several of Islamophobic attacks from the
far-right, including a recent ambush by Alt-right firebrand Laura Loomer
at a joint campaign event with former Michigan state Rep. Rashida
Tlaib.
"It is a district that is very much interested in making sure our progressive values are represented, and they know the only way they’ll continue to be represented is if we have people who are not going to just think about getting themselves to Washington but think about getting other progressives to Washington,” she said.
"It is a district that is very much interested in making sure our progressive values are represented, and they know the only way they’ll continue to be represented is if we have people who are not going to just think about getting themselves to Washington but think about getting other progressives to Washington,” she said.
"Tonight we are
celebrating because we engaged and empowered our community and we won,”
Omar said in a statement released by her campaign.
Prior to
Tuesday’s Primary, she was endorsed by the Minnesota
Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party for her candidacy. She will go up against
Republican nominee Jennifer Zielinski in November.
Omar is nearly
guaranteed a seat in the House in November, and if all goes as planned,
will be joined by Michigan’s Tlaib as the first Muslim women to be
elected to Congress. Rashida Tiab won her primary last week after her
opponent, Rep. John Conyers - who represented his Detroit district for
52 years -, was forced to resign after allegations of sexual misconduct.
Ilhan Omar one step closer to Congress after clinching Democratic nod
Ilhan Omar (D), the nation's first Somali-American legislator is one step closer to being the first Somali-American in Congress after winning the Democratic Party nomination for Minnesota's safely blue 5th Congressional District. The sea