Diligent Ilhan Omar, the Democratic incumbent of Minnesota’s 5th congressional district, is running for reelection this year, but she will face tough competition in the primary from three strong contenders.
Don Samuels, a former member of the Minneapolis City Council, declared on Sunday that he would run against progressive Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) in the 2022 primary, following a close defeat in the previous one.
The moderate Democrat Samuels announced his desire to compete for Omar’s congressional seat in an interview with WCCO, a local radio station. In 2022, Omar defeated the former member of the city council by a mere two points. Following his narrow defeat, Samuels asserted on Sunday that Omar is “beatable.”
Samuels stated, “Ilhan hasn’t helped herself.” “Even after the last race, she committed mistakes. Because of who I am, what I will do, and what I am, some people are coming to [support me], and some people are coming because of what she does and will do.
In addition, he made it apparent that he is joining the contest earlier than previously, giving him more time to build relationships with voters and supporters.
The moderate Democrat Samuels announced his desire to compete for Omar’s congressional seat in an interview with WCCO, a local radio station. In 2022, Omar defeated the former member of the city council by a mere two points. Following his narrow defeat, Samuels asserted on Sunday that Omar is “beatable.”
Samuels stated, “Ilhan hasn’t helped herself.” “Even after the last race, she committed mistakes. Because of who I am, what I will do, and what I am, some people are coming to [support me], and some people are coming because of what she does and will do.
In addition, he made it apparent that he is joining the contest earlier than previously, giving him more time to build relationships with voters and supporters. Samuels continued to criticise Omar.
“My opponent is known for divisiveness and rancor personally, locally, nationally, and internationally,” he said.
Additionally, a pro-Israel Muslim immigrant from Iraq and longtime broadcast journalist in Minnesota has announced she will run against Omar next year after labeling her the most antisemitic member of Congress.
Dalia al-Aqidi, a Republican who immigrated to the U.S. from Iraq to escape then-dictator Saddam Hussein’s brutal regime, and Omar have “staunchly opposing viewpoints on the Israel-Hamas conflict,” the report stated.
“This is the first time two Muslim Americans are running against each other for a congressional seat, and it’s in a district with a significant Muslim population. But Al-Aqidi, a native of Iraq who fled Saddam Hussein’s brutal regime in 1988, says that distinction shouldn’t matter. She’d rather focus on the issues: She’s a pro-school choice, wants to eliminate Critical Race Theory from being taught in classrooms (even though it is mainly taught just at the university level), reduce inflation, and secure our borders,” the outlet added.
Above all, however, she is staunchly pro-Israel and rejects allegations of ‘Islamophobia’ because she won’t play the “identity politics game.”
The GOP contender launched her campaign about a month ago because she strongly believes that the people in her Minneapolis district should not be represented by Omar, who she has accused of being Congress’ biggest anti-Semite after voting against a resolution to support Israel after it was attacked by the Palestinian-backed Hamas.
In a statement last week issued by her office, Omar said while she “mourns the lives taken by Hamas,” she declined to support the resolution because it failed to “acknowledge and mourn the lives of Palestinians taken by the Israeli military.”