On Tuesday, voters in Minneapolis will have the opportunity to reject Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN) bid for renomination, joining a growing trend of voters pushing back against the most extreme Democrats in Congress.
Omar’s record is marked by hateful and antisemitic rhetoric, including tweets that perpetuate vile tropes about Jewish people and comments that equate the US, Israel, and Hamas as equally prone to committing atrocities. She has also associated with and raised funds for antisemitic groups with ties to terrorism, and her aides have lied about these connections.
In addition to her divisive rhetoric, Omar has voted against key legislation, including funding for US defense and homeland security, denouncing the horrors of socialism, and condemning violence against police. Her voting record has earned her a rating of zero from key groups representing manufacturers, builders, and small businesses, indicating that she is radically out of step with the nation’s job creators.
In contrast, Omar’s opponent, Don Samuels, is a pragmatic and consensus-building liberal with years of experience on the city council and board of education. He has spoken out against political divisiveness and has taken a more measured approach to issues like policing, opposing a 2021 effort to replace the Minneapolis Police Department with a “Department of Public Safety.”
Samuels came close to defeating Omar in the 2022 primary, and he is now back for another try. Despite Omar’s extreme record, every member of the Democratic leadership in the US House has endorsed her, prioritizing power over decency. However, Minnesota voters have the chance to prove that they are independent of Washington’s influence and reject Omar’s radical agenda.
If Omar is defeated, it would be the third time this year that voters have rejected a radical incumbent in a primary election, following the losses of Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) and Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY). This would send a powerful signal that mainstream liberalism is more constructive than divisiveness and hate.
