(LibertySociety.com) – Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar easily won the Democratic primary on August 13, defeating several Democrat challengers, most notably, former Minneapolis City Councilman Don Samuels.
Samuels challenged Omar in the 2022 primary, coming within two points of beating her. To prevent a repeat, Omar’s campaign spent more than $6 million on her primary race, outspending Samuels by nearly $5 million.
Unlike fellow Squad members New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman and Missouri Rep. Cori Bush, groups like AIPAC and the United Democracy Project did not sink millions into Omar’s district to seek to defeat her.
Cori Bush lost her primary by nearly six points to St. Louis prosecutor Wesley Bell earlier this month. AIPAC and the United Democracy Project spent millions to unseat the two-term member of the Squad.
Bush vowed to go after AIPAC in her concession speech, warning that she would “tear your kingdom down.”
In late June, Bowman was defeated by Westchester County Executive George Latimer by more than a 17-point margin. AIPAC sank $25 million into Bowman’s district while the United Democracy Project poured nearly $15 million into attacking the radical anti-Israel lawmaker.
Omar campaigned on her support for abortion and her history as a refugee. She also highlighted President Biden’s praise for her tenure in Congress.
Samuels attempted to portray the three-term congresswoman as being out of touch with her district, claiming in one ad that Omar had been “missing on the issues that matter most to us.”
Samuels hammered Omar’s support for the Defund the Police movement as gun violence in the district surged and noted that she voted against the bipartisan infrastructure bill that would help rebuild roads and bridges in the district.
Omar’s primary victory sets her up for an easy reelection in November since Minnesota District-05, which includes Minneapolis, is a deep-blue district. In 2020, President Biden won MN-05 by 63 points. Omar defeated her Republican opponent in 2022 by nearly 50 points, winning 74.3 percent of the vote.
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