MINNEAPOLIS — U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar cruised to victory in Tuesday’s Democratic primary for Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District, capturing more than 80% of the vote and easily defeating four challengers as she seeks a fifth term in Congress.
Omar received 122,640 votes, or 80.71%, according to unofficial results from the Minnesota Secretary of State, with all 217 precincts reporting.
Julie Trang Le finished a distant second with 10,201 votes, or 6.71%, followed by Latonya T. Reeves with 9,131 votes, or 6.01%. Nate Schluter received 8,016 votes, or 5.28%, and Abena A. McKenzie received 1,961 votes, or 1.29%.
Omar will face Republican John Nagel in the Nov. 3 general election. Nagel won a four-way Republican primary Tuesday with 52.16% of the vote.
“I am honored that the people of Minnesota’s Fifth District have trusted me to continue to be their voice in Congress,” Omar said in a statement following her victory.
The decisive victory marked a departure from some of Omar’s previous reelection campaigns, when challengers mounted more competitive efforts to unseat one of the most nationally prominent members of Minnesota’s congressional delegation.
Omar has faced a Democratic primary challenge in every reelection campaign since she was first elected to Congress in 2018. Former Minneapolis City Council Member Don Samuels challenged her in both 2022 and 2024.
The 2022 contest was particularly close, with Omar narrowly defeating Samuels with just over 50% of the vote. Their 2024 rematch was less competitive, with Omar winning 56.2% to Samuels’ 42.9%.
This year, none of Omar’s four challengers emerged as a comparable threat.
Omar used her victory statement to lay out a progressive agenda that included Medicare for All, universal school meals, affordable rent, reproductive rights and abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“We are tired of being told that it’s not possible to achieve things that would fundamentally make our lives better,” Omar said. “Instead, we are ready to work to make them a reality.”
Omar also placed immigration enforcement and the Trump administration at the center of her remarks, praising Minnesotans who she said organized to protect their neighbors when ICE targeted communities in the district.
“Our district has shown the country what it means to be Minnesotan: we look out for our neighbors, stand up for our rights, and show up when it matters most,” she said.
She pledged to continue serving as a check on the Trump administration and also pointed to gun violence, calling for what she described as “commonsense gun reforms” while invoking the victims of the Annunciation School shooting.
Omar, who was born in Somalia and came to the United States as a refugee, made history when she was elected to Congress in 2018. She became the first Somali American elected to Congress and, along with Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib, one of the first two Muslim women elected to the U.S. House.
Omar is currently the only member of Congress who was born on the African continent.
The Fifth District includes Minneapolis and several surrounding communities, including Brooklyn Center, Columbia Heights, Crystal, Edina, Fridley, Golden Valley, New Hope, Richfield, Robbinsdale, Spring Lake Park, St. Anthony and St. Louis Park.
Omar closed her victory statement by thanking voters throughout the district and urging supporters to turn their attention toward November.
“I am grateful that the Fifth District has my back, and I will always have yours,” Omar said. “Together as Minnesotans, we need to come together so we can win big in November.”
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About Tom Gitaa, Editor-in-Chief
Born and raised in Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa, Tom is the Founder, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Mshale which has been reporting on the news and culture of African immigrants in the United States since 1995. He has a BA in Business from Metro State University and a Public Leadership Credential from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He was the original host of Talking Drum, the signature current affairs show on the African Broadcasting Network (ABN-America), which was available nationwide in the United States via the Dish Network satellite service. On the show, he interviewed Nobel laureates such as 2004 Nobel Peace prize winner, Professor Wangari Maathai, the first woman from Africa to win the peace prize and heads of states. Tom has served and chaired various boards including Global Minnesota (formerly Minnesota International Center), the sixth largest World Affairs Council in the United States. He has previously served as the first Black President of the Board of Directors at Books for Africa. He also serves on the board of the Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium. He has previously served two terms on the board of the United Nations Association. An avid runner, he retired from running full marathons after turning 50 and now only focuses on training for half marathons.
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