Omar defeated her challenger by a 13 percentage point margin. In another district, Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-Minn.) also fended off a primary challenge.
MINNEAPOLISâRep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) has won the Democratic primary in Minnesotaâs 5th Congressional District after fending off a challenge from a moderate Democrat in a close contest.
âThis campaign has been one of the ugliest, most disgusting campaigns against me that I have ever witnessed,â Omar remarked at her election night victory party at Nighthawks bar in Minneapolis.
The Republican primary in the district was uncontested, with former journalist Dalia Al-Aqidi being the unopposed GOP candidate running in November.
Omar is the first Somali-American and hijab-wearing lawmaker elected to Congress and is a member of the âSquadââa group of progressive House Democrats. She has been critical of Israel and has charged that the Jewish state is committing a âgenocideâ in Gaza.
Samuels took a different position from Omar on Gaza during the campaign by emphasizing Israelâs right to defend itself against terrorists.
âI believe Israel has a right to defend itself,â Samuels told The Epoch Times after casting his vote in the primary at Minneapolisâs Capri Theater. âNow, we have seen enough carnage, especially women and children being killed. Itâs beyond what we can handle … we need a cease-fire, we need a transformation to a negotiated settlement.â
Samuels also called for a two-state solution and a âMarshall Plan-likeâ restoration of Gaza.
At her election night party, The Epoch Times asked Omar how her campaign differed from the Bush and Bowman campaigns. She did not respond.
The Epoch Times spoke with dozens of voters across the district for their views on Omar and the primary contest.
âI like her spunk and I donât think sheâs done a bad job so far,â Carrie Thompson, a voter in uptown Minneapolis, told The Epoch Times.
âI like her stance on the Palestinian people … we shouldnât be providing Israel with bombs to, pretty much, kill innocent people,â added Thompsonâs husband, Shawn Jefferson.
Laura Tablish, a voter and Omar supporter, told The Epoch Times that she has attended debates involving Samuels, âand I donât trust him at all.â
âHe goes by âDemocrat,â but heâs very conservative, and I donât necessarily think that we need conservatives.â

âI donât appreciate some of the status quo that weâve taken in the Middle East, and I think having a voice for other groups is important,â said Matthew, a voter at Minneapolisâs Willard-Hay neighborhood, to The Epoch Times when asked why he supported Omar.
âI like the immigrant story. My family is full of immigrants as well, so I see her, as well. Sheâs relatable,â said Melanie Oi, a voter in Minneapolisâs downtown area. âI just want someone in office that I can relate to, that understands the issues that people like us are going through.â
âI think sheâs very one-sided, as far as Iâm concerned. Everything seems to be kind of for the South side of town. I just donât see her as being full[ly] representative,â said Tom Andrew Jack, a veteran and resident of Northeastern Minneapolis. On Omarâs rhetoric about Gaza, he said, âItâs wrong to be involved in that, as far Iâm concerned. I think there are local things here that need to be resolved … I canât stand behind anyone who wants to devalue police and stuff like thatâ
âOmar has the bad habit of making anti-Semitic statements. Then she has to go back and apologize for them, and that makes her look, you know, racist and not good,â said Kevin Jorgensen, a voter in downtown Minneapolis. âWhen she first ran, I voted for her, but then I decided to give Samuels a chance,â he said.

Rep. Fischbach Fends Off GOP Primary Challenge
In Minnesotaâs 7th Congressional District, Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-Minn.) was called the winner of the Republican primary election on Tuesday night, fending off a challenge from a populist candidate. She won with 64.7 percent of the vote.
Fischbach, a two-term member of Congress who unseated 30-year incumbent Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) in 2020, defeated Steve Boyd, a business owner and homeschool parent.
Fischbach has emphasized her pro-life record, support for the Second Amendment and border security, and renegotiating trade deals to benefit farmers.
Boydâs campaign, similarly, emphasized agriculture and social issues as his top priorities.
Fischbachâs victory makes her the likely winner of the general election in November. Minnesotaâs 7th District is heavily Republican.
Original News Source Link – Epoch Times
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