Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, one of a group of progressive lawmakers known as the “Squad” and a vocal critic of Israel’s conduct of the war in Gaza, has won the Minnesota primary.
Omar successfully defended her 5th District seat in Minneapolis from former Minneapolis City Councilman Don Samuels, a more centrist liberal, whom she also narrowly defeated in the 2022 primary. Speaking to supporters in Minneapolis, Omar echoed some of the themes of the Harris-Walz presidential campaign.
“We run a politics of happiness,” he said. “Because we know that it makes us happy to fight for our neighbors. We know that it makes us happy to make sure that housing is a human right. We know that it makes us happy to fight for health care as a human right. We know that it makes us happy to live in a peaceful and just world.”
Omar avoided the fate of two fellow Squad members, Cori Bush, who lost the Democratic nomination in Missouri last week and Jamaal Bowman of New York, who lost in the primary in June.
Both face well-funded challengers with millions of dollars spent by the United Democracy Project, a large political action committee affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which appears to be skipping the Minnesota race.
Samuels has criticized Omar’s criticism of the Israeli government’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war. While Omar has also criticized Hamas, for attacking Israelis and taking hostages, Samuels said Omar was biased and divisive. She also highlighted public safety concerns in Minneapolis, where a former police officer killed George Floyd in 2020.
Samuels said he was “very disappointed” with the defeat.
“What I hope is that a strong on-the-ground game and attention to detail for people who feel marginalized will trump the overwhelming advantage in dollars,” he said in an interview. “Clearly money matters more in politics than I expected.”
Omar reported raising about $6.2 million. Samuels raised about $1.4 million.
Omar will face Republican Dalia Al-Aqidi, an Iraqi-American journalist and secular Muslim who has called Omar pro-Hamas.
Meanwhile, conservative populist and former NBA player Royce White defeated Navy veteran Joe Fraser in Minnesota's primary for the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar in November.
And former federal prosecutor Joe Teirab, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, House Speaker Mike Johnson and the National Republican Congressional Committee, won the Republican (GOP) primary for Minnesota's 2nd District seat held by Democratic Congresswoman Angie Craig.
His opponent, attorney Tayler Rahm, won the district convention with support from grassroots conservatives. Although Rahm announced in July that he was suspending his campaign and would become a senior adviser to Trump’s Minnesota campaign, he remains on the ballot.
Teirab will face Craig in what is expected to be Minnesota's most competitive House election in November.
“Tonight’s definitive results send a clear message that the Republican Party is united and ready for change,” Teirab said in a statement. “We stand ready to support candidates who will strengthen our economy, secure our borders, and restore safety to our communities.”
Craig issued a statement calling Teirab “a man who recently moved to the district because he saw a political opportunity.”
“This is a man who has spent months doing everything he can to win over Republicans in Washington,” Craig said. “And he is a man who has made it his life’s mission to take reproductive freedom away from families and hand it over to politicians.”
In the US Senate race, White – an ally of jailed former Trump aide Steve Bannon and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones – surprised many political observers when he defeated Fraser at the party convention to win the Republican Party's endorsement.
White’s comments on social media have been denounced as misogynistic, homophobic, anti-Semitic and obscene. His legal and financial troubles include unpaid child support and questionable campaign spending, including $1,200 spent at a Florida strip club after he lost his 2022 primary to Omar. He has argued that, as a Black man, he can broaden the party’s base by appealing to voters of color in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and others disillusioned with establishment politics.
After his victory, White said in a post on social platform X: “Come on communists… the people are coming.” Democratic Party leaders denounced him as a right-wing extremist.
“While Royce White’s language and policies seek to divide Minnesotans, Sen. Amy Klobuchar focuses on bringing people together to get things done, and she consistently ranks among the most bipartisan and effective legislators in the Senate,” Ken Martin, chairman of the state Democratic Party, said in a statement. “The choice this November is clear.”
Fraser has said previously that White's confrontational style and message would not attract the moderates and independents needed to challenge Klobuchar, who is seeking a fourth term.
Fraser said he offered a more mainstream approach, emphasizing fiscal conservatism, strong defense, world leadership and small government. Fraser also highlighted his 26 years in the Navy, where he was an intelligence officer and served in combat in Iraq.
Neither has the resources that Klobuchar does. White last reported raising $133,000, while Fraser raised $68,000. Klobuchar, meanwhile, has raised about $19 million this cycle and has more than $6 million available for general election.
Another battle between establishment and grassroots Republicans took place in western Minnesota’s 7th District. Trump-backed Republican Michelle Fischbach, considered one of the most conservative members of Congress, defeated small businessman Steve Boyd.
Boyd ran on the issue of religion and blocked Fischbach from getting endorsements at the district convention. Boyd reportedly spent $170,000, while Fischbach spent more than $1 million.
Among legislative primaries on Tuesday (8/13), Democrats selected former state Sen. Ann Johnson Stewart to face Republican Kathleen Fowke in a contest that will determine not only which party controls the state Senate, but also whether Democrats will retain their “trifecta” control of both chambers and the governor’s office.
Democrats over the past two years have used that power to pass an ambitious agenda that helped put Gov. Tim Walz on Vice President Kamala Harris’ radar, before she chose him as her running mate.
It will be the state’s only Senate seat on the ballot in November. The seat in rural western Minneapolis is held by Democrat Kelly Morrison, who will face Republican Tad Jude for Minnesota’s 3rd Congressional District. (th/uh)
