Photo: Jacqueline Martin/APIlhan Omar faces challenge in Democratic primary from former Minneapolis official
Don Samuels says he will again will run narrowly defeated by a two-time congresswoman in 2022.
Ilhan Omar received a prominent challenger in the Democratic primary on Sunday when former Minneapolis City Councilman Don Samuels announced he would try again to unseat the representative after closing in on him in 2022.
Ilhan Omar fears for the safety of his family after a barrage of threats regarding criticism of Israel. Read more
Omar, a member of the “squad” of progressive House Democrats, twice won re-election despite making comments during her first term that were widely criticized for using anti-Semitic stereotypes and suggesting that American Jews were divided in loyalties. But Omar – a Somali-American and Muslim – has come under renewed criticism for condemning the Israeli government's war in the Gaza Strip.
“Our congresswoman has a penchant for controversy and conflict,” Samuels said in interview with The Associated Press ahead of his official announcement Sunday morning on WCCO Radio.
The Jamaican-born Samuels still maintains that his narrow defeat in the 2022 primary showed that Omar was beatable, and that he could have won had they competed later in the general election, where Omar won 74% of the vote. voting for a little-known Republican.
A big question in 2022 is the future of policing in the city where George Floyd was killed in 2020 by a former Minneapolis police officer, sparking protests around the world and unrest in Minnesota. Omar was among progressives who criticized Barack Obama for criticizing the defund the police movement as just a “bright slogan.”
“It's not a slogan, it's a political demand,” she wrote. on Twitter, now known as X.
In contrast, centrist Samuels helped lead the opposition that defeated a proposal in the 2021 city election that grew out of the “defund” movement to replace the police with a revamped public safety agency. Samuels believes safety will once again be a top issue.
“The long tails of the George Floyd and Covid problems continue: empty storefronts and empty malls because people don't want to invest anymore. They don't think it's safe,” Samuels said.
On Sunday, Omar issued a written statement touting her work in Congress and in her district, including fighting the climate crisis and codifying abortion rights. She also noted her contributions to affordable housing for veterans in Minnesota and a public safety measure that provides mental health support and services to victims of gun violence.
“I have been targeted by right-wing donors since I first entered public life,” Omar said in a statement that also accused Samuels of accepting hundreds of thousands of donations from far-right donors and political action committees. “If we're going to stop Donald Trump, we need record turnout, and I'm confident we can get turnout, especially in a presidential election year.”
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The war in the Middle East has already split Democrats and upended the dynamics of some House primaries. Omar criticized Hamas for attacking Israel and taking hostages, but was even more critical of Israel's military response. It focused on the plight of civilians in the Gaza Strip. She also condemned the surge in intimidation and violence against both Muslims and Jews in the United States.
It remains to be seen how much of an issue the war will become in the vast majority of cases. Democratic district that includes Minneapolis and some suburbs. The district also has a large Somali Muslim population. And that includes St. Louis Park, which has historically been the center of Jewish life in Minnesota.
Samuels said he thinks the war will be a big problem. He criticized Omar for voting against imposing sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine but supporting sanctions against Israel and for boycotting Israeli President Isaac Herzog's speech to Congress in July.
Omar is portrayed by fellow House Democrats as a no-nonsense lawmaker who has earned admiration over the past four years for giving a voice to marginalized groups that are often forgotten on Capitol Hill.
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