Ilhan Omar easily wins re-election in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District

STAR TRIBUNE|MINNESOTA: Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, the first Somali American elected to Congress, easily won a third term Tuesday to represent the Fifth Congressional District that includes all of Minneapolis and some inner ring suburbs.

“This seat is for everybody in my district, regardless of who they love, how they pray, the color of their skin, or even how they vote, and I will continue to fight for all of you,” Omar said in a written statement after she won.

Political newcomer Cicely Davis, 47, didn’t present a significant challenge to the 40-year-old Omar who served one term in the state House of Representatives before going to Washington.

Omar faced a closer call in the August primary when former Minneapolis City Council Member Don Samuels came surprisingly close to defeating her. Samuels focused on Omar’s support for the 2021 Minneapolis ballot measure that would have reshaped the police department after George Floyd’s murder.

In 2018, Omar was one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress. She has consistently advocated for progressive measures such as abortion access, cancelling student loan debt and environmental protections.

July, Omar was arrested during an abortion rights protest outside the U.S. Supreme Court.

Davis ran a low-key campaign largely through social media, advocating for permanent tax cuts, supporting police and depoliticizing classrooms.

Beyond Minneapolis, the Fifth District includes the inner ring suburbs of Crystal, Fridley, Golden Valley, New Hope, Richfield, Robbinsdale, St. Louis Park and a small bit of Edina.