US Rep. Ilhan Omar, a member of the progressive ‘Squad,’ faces repeat primary challenge in Minnesota

[Pelican Press 0]

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US Rep. Ilhan Omar, a member of the progressive ‘Squad,’ faces repeat primary challenge in Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, one of the progressive House members known as the “Squad” and a sharp critic of how ******* has conducted the war in Gaza, is trying to avoid the fate of two of her closest allies when

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Tuesday.

Omar is defending her Minneapolis-area 5th District seat

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from former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels, a more centrist ******** whom she only narrowly defeated in the 2022 primary.

In the main statewide race on the ballot,

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Royce White is facing a more conventional GOP candidate,

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for the right to challenge Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

Meanwhile, two newcomers are in a bitter ****** for the GOP nomination to challenge Democratic Rep. ****** Craig in November in the mostly suburban 1st District.

Omar’s fellow Squad member

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the Democratic nomination in Missouri last week. Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York

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The only charter member not facing a primary challenge is Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts.

Both Bush and Bowman faced well-funded challengers and millions of dollars in spending by the ******* Democracy Project, a super political action committee affiliated with the ********* ******* Public Affairs Committee, which appears to be sitting out the Minnesota race.

But Omar isn’t taking victory for granted. Omar reported spending $2.3 million before the 2022 primary. In the same ******* this year, she reported raising about $6.2 million. Samuels has raised about $1.4 million.

Omar — a Somali ********* and ******* — came under ***** from the Jamaican-born Samuels and others in her first term for comments that were widely criticized for invoking antisemitic tropes and suggesting ******* Americans have divided loyalties. This time, Samuels has criticized her condemnation of the ******** government’s handling of the

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While Omar has also criticized ****** for attacking ******* and taking hostages, Samuels says she’s one-sided and divisive. He’s also been stressing the public safety issues he focused on in 2022. The big issue at the time was policing in Minneapolis, where a former police officer murdered

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in 2020.

The winner in the overwhelmingly Democratic district will face *********** Dalia Al-Aqidi, an Iraqi ********* journalist and self-described secular ******* who calls Omar pro-****** and a ********** sympathizer.

In the U.S. Senate race, White — an ally of imprisoned

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and

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— shocked many political observers when he defeated Fraser at the party convention for the GOP endorsement.

White’s social media comments have been denounced as misogynistic, homophobic, antisemitic and profane. His legal and financial problems include unpaid child support and questionable campaign spending, including $1,200 spent at a Florida strip club after he lost his primary challenge to Omar in 2022. He argues that, as a ****** man, he can broaden the party’s base by appealing to voters of ****** in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and others disillusioned with establishment politics.

Fraser has said White’s confrontational style and message won’t attract the moderates and independents needed for a competitive challenge against Klobuchar, who’s seeking a fourth term. He said he offers a more mainstream approach, stressing fiscal conservativism, a strong defense, world leadership and small government. Fraser has also highlighted his 26 years in the Navy, where he was an intelligence officer and served a combat tour in Iraq.

Neither has anywhere near the resources that Klobuchar has. White last reported raising $133,000, while Fraser has taken in $68,000. Klobuchar, meanwhile, has collected about $19 million this cycle and has more than $6 million available to spend on the general election campaign. She faces only nominal primary opposition.

Craig is preparing for what’s expected to be Minnesota’s most competitive House race in November. Vying to challenge her are former

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and defense attorney Tayler Rahm. Teirab has the support of Trump, House Speaker Mike Johnson and the National *********** Congressional Committee. He was better funded than Rahm, who won the endorsement at the district convention with support from grassroots conservatives.

While Rahm announced in July that he was

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and would instead serve as a senior adviser for Trump’s Minnesota campaign, he will still be on the ballot and didn’t fully pull the plug on his campaign.

Another clash between establishment and grassroots Republicans is playing out in western Minnesota’s 7th District.

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is considered one of the most ************* members of Congress and has Trump’s endorsement. But small businessman Steve Boyd, running to her right on a religious platform, blocked her from getting endorsement at the district convention. Boyd has reported spending $170,000, while Fischbach has spent over $1 million.

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#Rep #Ilhan #Omar #member #progressive #Squad #faces #repeat #primary #challenge #Minnesota

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