Rep. Ilhan Omar defeated her Democratic primary challenger, lawyer Antone Melton-Meaux, on Tuesday, who received attention for outraising her during the campaign, projected the Associated Press.
The race has garnered attention in recent weeks: Melton-Meaux said he supported Omar’s first run for Congress in 2018, but criticized her for the number of votes she was missing.
“She’s been ineffective in Washington because she’s divided, and she’s focused on her fame,” Melton-Meaux told The Associated Press.
Rep. Ilhan Omar (right) faces a highly controversial primary Tuesday night, even after being outraised by her opponent, lawyer Antone Melton-Meaux (left).
As a member of the progressive “Squad” with four women in Congress, Omar was elected as one of the first Muslim-American women in Congress, along with Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich. Her outspoken criticism of President Trump and advocates for left-wing ideas has garnered national attention, and the attention paid to the Somali-born progressive legislator – and her Twitter feed – has made her a target of Republicans and even some fellow Democrats.
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And Omar is no stranger to controversy, and asked early in her congressional term to apologize for making comments seen as anti-Semitic.
Omar has supported some of the biggest names in politics – such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, progressive leader sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont – to whom she joined the campaign trail when the populist champion ran for the Democratic presidential nomination.
She also enjoyed the support of leading Minnesota Democrats, such as Gov. Tim Walz, Alderman Peggy Flanagan, State House Speaker Melissa Hortman and Attorney General Keith Ellison. And she has the support of local unions and the state party, as she runs for a second term of two years, representing Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District – which occupies much of the city of Minneapolis and was ground zero for the national protests. jumped by the death of George Floyd into the hands of police.
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But in the fight for campaign cash, Melton-Meaux submitted a whopping $ 3.2 million in the four years April-June, according to observations at the Federal Election Commission. That far surpassed Omar, who raised nearly half a million dollars in the same period. Melton-Meaux reported that at the end of June he had $ 2 million in his campaign suitcases, almost double Omar’s $ 1.1 million cash on hand.
At the local level, Melton-Meaux has earned the distinction of the Star Tribune, Minneapolis’ largest newspaper.
“Whether it’s health care, criminal justice or affordable housing, Melton-Meaux appears progressive but pragmatic,” the editors said. “While Omar wants to lead a movement, Melton-Meaux is trying to serve the Fifth District.”
The editors also lamented Omar’s “mistakes”, including her inflammatory remarks about Israel and her problems with campaign funding.
Omar’s campaign was knocking on doors – an act typical of any other election cycle, but very unusual during the coronavirus pandemic.
Omar’s campaign quietly returned to knocking in early July, with social distance and face coverage protocols.
“There’s an element that just can’t be recreated and is not personal,” Omar Campaign Manager Claire Bergren told the New York Times.
Melton-Meaux has pointed to the controversy surrounding the congresswoman as the reason why he decided to run for office. He claimed that Omar ‘had lost the trust of the Jewish community due to its insensitive and harmful tropes. ‘
Omar also faced questions about payments made to her husband’s firm, which reportedly received more than a million dollars from her campaign in the 2020 cycle. She was recently specifically asked about $ 600,000 raised in ‘ the first three weeks of July went to her husband’s business.
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‘I do not pay my husband. I pay the company to do work and that [$600,000] is actually an example of that work, ”she said in a recent debate. “It was the first time we put up a TV ad, which’s surprising to me, because that’s not something we’re used to in the 5th, and that money went into placing that ad and making sure we had digital ads. , we have literature that is sent to our constituencies because it is efforts for us.
Fox News’ Paul Newshaus contributed to this report.
