Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., handily won her primary race on Tuesday against an opponent, Don Samuels, who was boosted by fundraising from pro-Israel donors.
Elected in 2018, Omar is now almost certain to clinch re-election in November to represent Minnesota’s deep-blue 5th District. She defeated Samuels in the 2022 primary.
Omar told supporters on Tuesday night that she was “incredibly honored” by the results. “I am honored to represent the people who welcomed me and my family as refugees to this incredible state,” she said.
The victory by Omar, a leading pro-Palestinian advocate in Congress and a vocal critic of Israel, comes on the heels of primary losses for Reps. Cori Bush and Jamaal Bowman, fellow progressive “Squad” colleagues who have also condemned Israel’s military assault on Gaza.
Bush and Bowman were defeated by opponents backed by the pro-Israel group AIPAC. The United Democracy Project, a super PAC affiliated with the group, poured millions of dollars into both races, buying ads attacking the incumbents. Bowman’s race was the most expensive House primary in history, and Bush’s the second-most expensive. As a candidate, Omar had fewer obvious vulnerabilities than Bush or Bowman. After narrowly winning her primary against Samuels in 2022, she stepped up her outreach to voters and spent more on ads. Another factor in her race was that AIPAC sat it out; in 2022, the United Democracy Project spent $350,000 trying to oust Omar. In AIPAC’s absence, wealthy pro-Israel donors stepped in to raise funds for Samuels’ campaign, The Intercept reported this week. Samuels’ campaign received a boost in donations after Wesley Bell won his primary against Bush last week, but Omar’s financial prowess proved insurmountable.
Clarissa-Jan Lim is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW. She was previously a senior reporter and editor at BuzzFeed News.
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