Minneapolis (HN24) Incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar has easily secured a fifth term by defeating Republican nominee John Nagel in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District race Tuesday evening.
Omar has represented the district — which encompasses Minneapolis and its inner-ring suburbs — since 2019. It’s the most Democratic district in the state and the entire nation.
She won decisively over Julie T. Le, Abena McKenzie, Latonya Reeves and Nate Schluter in August’s primary. She was endorsed by the Minnesota DFL Party at its state convention in May.
Omar released a statement overnight, calling her victory a “landslide.”
“Thank you, Minnesota. Thank you for once again showing the world who we are and what we stand for. We rise above fear and division. We reject hatred and bigotry. We have each other’s back,” she said.
Omar, a refugee from Somalia, has long been a target of President Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric. After she was first elected, Mr. Trump said she should “go back” to her home country. He has described her as “garbage” and said she should be investigated.
Last month, Omar’s Washington, D.C., residence was raided by Homeland Security investigators amid an apparent investigation over immigration paperwork filed on her behalf by her late father when she was a child. Omar calls the raid and investigation an “outrageous abuse of power and an unprecedented escalation in the weaponization of federal law enforcement to target political enemies.”
Nagel, a former Minnesota State Patrol trooper, told WCCO he ran on a platform that includes strengthening fraud controls, protecting Medicare and Medicaid, pushing for reforms for the Affordable Care Act, upgrading border protection security and technology and maintaining the nation’s “strong national defense.”
Read Omar’s full statement below.
“Thank you, Minnesota. Thank you for once again showing the world who we are and what we stand for. We rise above fear and division. We reject hatred and bigotry. We have each other’s back.
“Our year began with Minnesota showing the world what we are made of during Operation Metro Surge. We showed what happens when neighbors stand up for one another and communities refuse to look away. Tonight, we have written another chapter in that story. Minnesota has shown the country that the antidote to Trump’s fascism is love, solidarity, and community.
“Over the last eight years, we have accomplished so much together. We helped feed 30 million children during the pandemic, brought home more than $65 million for local projects, and helped over 6,000 constituents. We have led the fight to end the genocide, and the rest of the country is finally catching up.
“Our work has never stopped at the doors of Congress. We invested in young organizers and progressive candidates, brought volunteers to greater Minnesota, organized for local and state races, coordinated mutual aid during Operation Metro Surge, volunteered at food shelves, and strengthened East African community organizing across our state. Because real change happens when ordinary people come together and organize for the future they deserve.
“Tonight, Minnesota has delivered a mandate. A mandate for the politics of joy over fear, for the power of grassroots organizing, and for the strength of our diversity. A mandate for Medicare for All, universal school meals, abolishing ICE, peace instead of endless wars, climate action, and student debt cancellation. And a mandate to hold Trump accountable for his corruption, his weaponization of the federal government, and his daily abuses of power.
“Trump wants us to be afraid. He wants us to stay silent while he attacks our communities and undermines our democracy. He wants people to believe that speaking out comes at too high a cost, that even a duly elected Member of Congress can be threatened into submission. But Minnesota elected me to be their voice in Washington. I will not be intimidated. I will not back down. And I will never let Donald Trump silence me. Minnesota will never let Donald Trump silence us.
“Thank you for your courage, your solidarity, and your faith in what we can accomplish together. I will never take your trust for granted. Whether fighting for you in Congress, bringing resources home, organizing alongside you, or holding this administration accountable, I promise to always put you at the center of this work.
“This movement belongs to you. Thank you, Minnesota. I am so proud to represent you.”
