Controversial Democratic incumbent Ilhan Omar of Minnesota’s 5th congressional district is facing a challenging re-election bid this year, particularly in the primary, where she will contend with not one but three formidable opponents.
After a narrow defeat in the 2022 primary, former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels announced on Sunday that he would once again challenge progressive Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) in the upcoming primary.
During an interview with WCCO, a local radio station, moderate Democrat Samuels expressed his intention to vie for Omar’s congressional seat. Omar narrowly defeated the former city council member by a two-point margin in 2022. Samuels asserted on Sunday that Omar is “beatable” based on his close performance in the previous election.
“Ilhan hasn’t helped herself,” Samuels said. “She has made missteps, even after the last race. And so some folks are coming [to support me] because of what I am, who I am, and what I will do, and some are coming because of what she does and will do.”
Moreover, he emphasized his early entry into the race, providing him with additional time to establish connections with supporters and voters. Samuels also criticized Omar as a divisive figure, pointing to her critique of Obama for characterizing police budget cuts as a “snappy slogan.”
“My opponent is known for divisiveness and rancor personally, locally, nationally, and internationally,” he said.
Moreover, a pro-Israel Muslim immigrant from Iraq and long-time broadcast journalist in Minnesota has declared her candidacy against Omar next year, describing her as the most antisemitic member of Congress.
Dalia al-Aqidi, a Republican who immigrated to the U.S. from Iraq to escape the brutal regime of then-dictator Saddam Hussein, holds staunchly opposing viewpoints on the Israel-Hamas conflict compared to Omar, as per the report.
“This is the first time two Muslim Americans are running against each other for a congressional seat, and it’s in a district with a significant Muslim population. But Al-Aqidi, a native of Iraq who fled Saddam Hussein’s brutal regime in 1988, says that distinction shouldn’t matter. She’d rather focus on the issues: She’s pro-school choice, wants to eliminate Critical Race Theory from being taught in classrooms (even though it is mainly taught just at the university level), reduce inflation, and secure our borders,” the outlet added.
Above all, however, she is staunchly pro-Israel and rejects allegations of ‘Islamophobia’ because she won’t play the “identity politics game.”
“My religion should not matter to anyone but myself,” al-Aqidi told Politico’s Women Rule column. “If I was a white woman, if I was a black woman, if I was a white man, saying what I’m saying now? I’d be called a white supremacist, a hater, a racist, a bigot.”
The Republican candidate initiated her campaign roughly a month ago, driven by a strong conviction that the constituents in her Minneapolis district deserve representation other than Omar. Al-Aqidi accuses Omar of being Congress’ most prominent anti-Semite, particularly highlighting her vote against a resolution backing Israel following an attack by the Palestinian-backed Hamas.
In a statement released last week from her office, Omar expressed her condolences for the lives lost due to Hamas. However, she opted not to endorse the resolution, citing its failure to “acknowledge and mourn the lives of Palestinians taken by the Israeli military.”
“While I was here, Ilhan Omar voted against the U.S. House resolution that condemned Hamas. And that tells you a lot about who Ilhan Omar is,” Al-Aqidi told Politico while she was touring Israel late last month. “I come here as a Muslim, as someone who understands what it means to be a radical Muslim. Unfortunately, the majority of people in the United States cannot comprehend the difference between being a Muslim or being an extremist.”
“And, of course, that came from the narrative of [Rep.] Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Ilhan Omar, that if you criticize radical Islamism, it means you criticize Muslims. For years, they’ve been trying to indoctrinate the Muslim community and the Middle Eastern community in the United States,” she said.
“I’m Muslim, and I was here when 9/11 happened. I was not muted just because I was a Muslim. I was not mistreated because of my identity or because of my religion. I love America. I came to America because I fled the hostility and oppression in the Middle East. I don’t want to come here and be oppressed by so-called Muslims,” Al-Aqidi added.
