House 'Squad' Member Ilhan Omar Narrowly Wins Minnesota Primary in Surprisingly Close Race

Aaron Parsley
·2 min read
U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar waves to passersby for support during a voter engagement event on the corner of Broadway and Central Avenues in Minneapolis, on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022. Omar faces a primary challenge from former city council member Don Samuels.
U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar waves to passersby for support during a voter engagement event on the corner of Broadway and Central Avenues in Minneapolis, on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022. Omar faces a primary challenge from former city council member Don Samuels.
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Elizabeth Flores/Star Tribune via AP

Rep. Ilhan Omar narrowly won her Democratic primary race Tuesday, securing a spot on the November ballot as she continues her bid to represent Minnesota's 5th Congressional District in a third term.

Omar, 39, defeated former Minneapolis City Councilman Don Samuels to be the Democratic nominee.

The results were unexpectedly close. Omar finished with 50.3 percent of the vote while Samuels earned 48.2 percent, with a difference of less than 2,500 votes between them on Wednesday morning, according to CNN. Three other candidates were on the ballot but none received more than 1,000 votes.

In 2020, Omar beat her top challenger by nearly 20 points.

"Tonight's victory is a testament to how much our district believes in the collective values we are fighting for and how much they're willing to do to help us overcome defeat," Omar tweeted Tuesday night. "This win is for them and everyone who still believes that regression will not be the legacy of the Fifth."

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Samuels ran as a Democrat who would "make a difference," rather than "make a point," HuffPost reported, noting that the slogan hints at Omar's outspoken reputation but suggests he could be a more effective representative for the Minneapolis-based district.

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., right, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., attend a rally on the steps of the U.S. Capitol before the House voted on the Womens Health Protection Act and the Ensuring Womens Right to Reproductive Freedom Act, on Friday, July 15, 2022.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., right, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., attend a rally on the steps of the U.S. Capitol before the House voted on the Womens Health Protection Act and the Ensuring Womens Right to Reproductive Freedom Act, on Friday, July 15, 2022.

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty

He also opposed calls to "defund the police" while Omar supported a 2021 ballot initiative that would have replaced the Minneapolis Police Department with a new agency to handle public safety.

While Omar chose not to air any television ads during the primary campaign, Samuels had the backing of the super PAC Make a Difference MN05, which spent $420,000 on a TV ad that boosted his visibility and showcased his opposition to overhauling police funding but did not mention Omar by name, HuffPost reported.

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Omar joins fellow House "Squad" members in the primary-race winners' circle. Missouri Rep. Cori Bush and Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib also fended off primary challenges.

The "Squad," a progressive group of House Democrats, also includes N.Y. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts.

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Following Omar's win, she'll face the Republican nominee, conservative activist Cicely Davis, in November.