Ilhan Omar Wins Democratic Primary in Minnesota's 5th District
CBS News projects the four-term congresswoman took more than 80% of the vote in the most Democratic district in the country.
Rep. Ilhan Omar has secured the Democratic nomination for reelection in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District, CBS News projects.
Omar captured more than 80% of the vote in the district, which she has represented in the U.S. House since 2018. The 5th is the most Democratic district in Minnesota and in the entire nation.
Her opponents in the DFL primary included Abena McKenzie, Latonya Reeves and Nate Schluter. In the Republican primary for the seat, John Nagel was projected to win with 52.1% of the vote.
Omar, who says a top priority for her remains President Trump's immigration crackdown, won her last general election by 50 percentage points and the 2024 primary by 13 points. Those are among the reasons that, for the first time, she did not face a major primary opponent this year.
One of her challengers, Le, a former U.S. attorney, entered the DFL primary weeks after an outburst in a St. Paul federal court during Operation Metro Surge. After being assigned nearly 90 immigration cases in less than a month, Le — an immigrant herself — reportedly asked the judge to hold her in contempt of court so she could get "a full 24 hours of sleep," adding, "this system sucks, this job sucks."
Omar's popularity in her district is undeniable, though she has for years been a frequent target of Trump and his MAGA supporters, who have repeatedly questioned her citizenship, mocked her Somali heritage and scrutinized the finances of her and her husband, political consultant Tim Mynett.
On Monday, Omar said a Homeland Security Investigations agent was spotted outside a town hall she attended in Richfield.
"Instead of monitoring the area for those who might wish harm to me and my constituents, Richfield Police were required to devote time to investigating why an HSI agent was outside of a Congressional event in a vehicle with mismatched plates," Omar said in a written statement. "It also raises serious and uncomfortable questions about the purpose of HSI's presence outside of my event."
In January, a man lunged toward Omar at a town hall in Minneapolis, spraying her with a substance later determined to be apple cider vinegar.
"I am really OK. What happened to me is not OK, but they picked the wrong person," Omar told WCCO after the attack. "I am not one to be intimidated."
This article was produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI), in accordance with our editorial policy.
