What's happened
Representative Ilhan Omar successfully defended her seat in the Minnesota primary against challenger Don Samuels. This victory comes after two fellow 'Squad' members were defeated in their primaries, highlighting the influence of pro-Israel lobbying groups in recent elections. Omar's campaign focused on local support and countering outside influence.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to Joan E. Greve in The Guardian, Omar's victory is significant as it comes amid a challenging summer for her allies, with pro-Israel groups spending heavily to unseat progressive candidates. Greve notes that Omar's campaign successfully countered these efforts, highlighting the depth of support she maintains in her district. Meanwhile, John Bowden from The Independent emphasizes the historical context of Omar's candidacy, noting her unique position as a Somali-American and her vocal critiques of U.S. foreign policy. Neil Vigdor from The New York Times adds that Omar's campaign strategy focused on local engagement, which proved effective against Samuels, who had previously come close to defeating her. The Times of Israel reported that pro-Israel PACs did not invest heavily in Omar's race, suggesting a strategic decision based on polling and campaign dynamics.
How we got here
Ilhan Omar, a prominent progressive voice in Congress, faced a primary challenge from Don Samuels after two of her allies, Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush, lost their races amid significant spending from pro-Israel groups. Omar's previous narrow victory over Samuels in 2022 set the stage for this rematch.
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More on these topics
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Ilhan Abdullahi Omar is a Somali-American politician serving as the U.S. Representative for Minnesota's 5th congressional district since 2019. The district includes all of Minneapolis and some of its suburbs.
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Don Samuels (born 1948/1949) is an American politician and activist, who served as a member of the Minneapolis City Council from 2003 to 2014. A member of the Democratic Party, Samuels came to national attention as a candidate for the DFL nomination for..
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Israel, formally known as the State of Israel, is a country in Western Asia, located on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea.
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Jamaal Bowman is an American educator and politician. He is the Democratic nominee for New York's 16th congressional district in the 2020 election.
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The Squad is the informal name for a group of four women elected in the 2018 United States House of Representatives elections, made up of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, and Rashida Tlaib of