Ilhan Omar wins Democratic nomination for fourth term

Firebrand US Representative Ilhan Omar clinched the Democratic Party nomination for a fourth term on Tuesday, in a victory for progressives after losses in party primaries by two fellow members of the group nicknamed "The Squad."

Omar defeated former Minneapolis city council member Don Samuels in Minnesota's 5th District Democratic primary.

With 216 of 217 precincts reporting results, Omar was leading Samuels 56.2 percent-42.9 percent, according to Minnesota Secretary of State tallies.

At the end of a spirited campaign, Samuels acknowledged Omar's victory in a telephone interview but said the results showed "there are still people who are feeling left out of the congresswoman's leadership."

Omar's robust campaign fundraising likely played a significant role in her victory.

She collected $6.8 million since the 2022 election, more than double the typical House member's reelection campaign and well over Samuels' $1.4 million, according to federal campaign disclosures.

"Because Omar had a tough primary last cycle (the 2022 election), she was prepared this time around with a strong ground game and excellent fundraising numbers that far outpaced Samuels," said Ryan Dawkins, a political science professor at Minnesota's Carleton College.

The Minnesota lawmaker, one of four progressive women whose 2018 election created The Squad, is expected to easily win the Nov. 5 election.

Control of Congress will be up for grabs as Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump seek the presidency.

Fellow Squad members Representatives Jamaal Bowman of New York and Cori Bush of Missouri lost their party primaries over the past few months, facing opponents who had won substantial support from the pro-Israel fundraising group AIPAC.

Bowman, Bush, and Omar had all expressed opposition to President Joe Biden's support for Israel in its war against Hamas militants in Gaza, but AIPAC, as of mid-July, had given just $25 to Samuels' campaign, according to data collected by Open Secrets. Bowman and Bush's losses will whittle away The Squad's ranks from its peak of nine members.

They also reflect a Democratic Party that has backed away from some of its furthest-left causes, like calls for providing government-backed healthcare for all Americans or talk of defunding police, which came to the fore during the 2020 Democratic presidential primary before Biden secured the nomination.

The absence of a significant 2024 Democratic primary before Biden ended his candidacy last month, passing the torch to Harris, meant that further-left candidates, such as independent Senator Bernie Sanders, did not drive the debate.

Reuters