U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar easily won a fourth term in Congress on Tuesday night, beating Republican challenger Dalia al-Aqidi by more than 50 percentage points.
Omar received 75 percent of the vote compared to al-Aqidi’s 23 percent, with 195 of 217 precincts reporting, according to the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office.
Omar declared victory on X, formerly Twitter, about 11 p.m.
“Thank you, CD5,” she wrote. “Our hard work was worth it. We knocked on 117,716 doors. We made 108,226 calls. And we sent 147,323 texts. This is a victory for ALL of us who believe that a better future is possible. I can’t wait to make you all proud over the next two years.”
At a DFL watch party in downtown St. Paul on Tuesday night, Omar said it has been the “honor of her life” to represent Minnesota’s Fifth District. She highlighted her past work in Congress, including work around immigration and addressing student debt.
The crowd erupted into cheers when she said a priority in her next term will be to “end the genocide in Gaza.”
After her speech, Omar briefly danced with supporters on stage.
Omar has represented the state’s Fifth Congressional District since 2019. The district includes Minneapolis and surrounding suburbs, including Brooklyn Center, St. Louis Park and Richfield.
Omar beat Don Samuels, a former Minneapolis City Council member, in the August primary election by 13 percentage points. Omar also beat Samuels in the 2022 primary election. The district hasn’t elected a Republican since 1960.
Minneapolis resident Shukri Malin attended the DFL watch party at the InterContinental hotel Tuesday evening to support Omar and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate. Malin said it’s exciting to see more women and people of color in politics, and that she’s been pleased with Omar’s time in Congress.Â
“She’s good, she helps people,” Shukri said. “She helps everybody.”
Party attendee Fartun Abdi, of Minneapolis, voted for Omar. But, she said, she voted for former President Donald Trump on Tuesday because of the economy, among other issues.Â
“She’s from the same country I come from,” Fartun said of Omar. “I support her. We wear the same scarf, have the same religion.”
Before she was elected to Congress, Omar served one term in the Minnesota House of Representatives, and was the first Somali state legislator elected in the country. Omar was born in Somalia and fled the country’s civil war when she was 8 years old. After spending several years in a refugee camp in Kenya, she immigrated to the United States in the 1990s. She moved to Minneapolis in 1997.
Omar’s campaign has centered around her legislative accomplishments and her commitment to continue as a progressive member of Congress. Her campaign cites reforming the immigration system, protecting reproductive rights and preventing gun violence as priorities.
Al-Aqidi, a journalist and activist, told Sahan Journal before Election Day that she considers herself a “moderate Republican,” and hoped that would help her gain traction in a historically blue district.Â
“I’ve been talking to many, many moderate people and independents in our district, and these people need someone,” she said.
Omar told Sahan Journal prior to Tuesday that climate, affordable housing and student debt cancellation are her priorities. Omar added that she hopes that Democrats take back the majority in the House, and that she can return to the Foreign Affairs Committee and chair the African subcommittee.
Omar said Democrats are already strategizing for the possibility of Republicans taking control.
“We’ve already experienced a Trump presidency, and so we kind of know what some of those challenges will look like,” Omar said. “We also are really afraid of the prospect of having another January 6th.”
This is part of Sahan Journal’s live election coverage.
