Rep. Ilhan Omar Becomes 3rd Member Of Progressive ‘Squad’ To Win Democratic Primary Challenge

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota) defeated her well-funded opponent, Antone Melton-Meaux, by 18.2% on Tuesday, all but ensuring the re-election of the group of Democratic congresswomen of color, known as “The Squad.”

The progressive “Squad” is comprised of Omar, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York), Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Massachusetts) and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan).

Omar was the third in the group to face a primary challenge, and it came from a well-supported candidate. Pressley will be the last, with her primary taking place on Sept. 1.

In the second quarter of 2020, Melton-Meaux raised six times as much as Omar did – and about 20% of it came from pro-Israel PACs. He also secured the endorsement of the region’s flagship newspaper, The Star Tribune.

“In Minnesota, we know that organized people will always beat organized money,” Omar tweeted. “Tonight, our movement didn’t just win. We earned a mandate for change. Despite outside efforts to defeat us, we once again broke turnout records. Despite the attacks, our support has only grown.”

Omar, the first Somali-American to be elected to Congress, has been a relentless progressive voice in Congress. She prompted criticism in 2019 when she was accused of making anti-Semitic comments by both GOP and Democratic leaders. She has previously apologized for her comments.

Both Omar and Melton-Meaux underscored the need to end systemic racism and promote social justice, but in the wake of George Floyd’s killing in Minneapolis, Omar’s calls went even further – supporting the idea of restructuring the Police Department and diverting money from it to invest in social services.

After her win, Omar tweeted that “now the hard work begins.”

“We know Trump will use fear and division to turn Minnesotan against Minnesota ahead of November. But together, we can out-organize him.”

Article by Katherine Huggins