MINNEAPOLIS – Rep. Ilhan Omar is about to learn whether voters in her congressional district in Minneapolis support the mix of confrontational, anti-Trump progressivism and celebrity she brings to the fore.
Omar, the first Somali American and one of the first two Muslim women to be elected to Congress, faces a surprisingly well-funded challenger in the Democratic primary in Minnesota on Tuesday. Antone Melton-Meaux, a Black lawyer and mediator, made millions of anti-Omar dollars to fill mailboxes and flood airwaves. His “Focus on the Fifth” message portrayed Omar, a member of “The Squad” of four progressive female lawmakers, as not in contact with the 5th District.
Omar denied the Melton-Meaux attacks, saying they were funded by interests that wanted to get them out of Congress because they were effective. She also reduced Melton-Meaux’s money and played her ground game for the vote, saying, “Organized people will always beat organized money.”
The outcome may not be known Tuesday night as the results are near. Attendance in Minnesota was heavy, and officials must count post-in-ballots arriving as late as Thursday under security rules imposed over the coronavirus pandemic.
Democratic Senator Tina Smith and Republican challenger Jason Lewis were expected to easily win their primaries in the only statewide race on the ballot. Elsewhere, in western Minnesota of the Conservative 7th District, the former state was sen. Michelle Fischbach the undersigned Republican in a three-way race for the right to Democratic Rep. To challenge Collin Peterson. Peterson, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, is one of the GOP’s top targets for tipping a House chair in November.
After entering Congress with fanfare, Omar hurriedly rebuked her with remarks about Jews, money and Israel that even some fellow Democrats called anti-Semitic, and found themselves apologizing. She also came under control when her marriage fell apart and she married her political adviser for months after she denied having an affair.
Republicans have also raised questions about continued payments to their new husband’s firm, though experts said they are not necessarily indecent.
Progressive Democrats gained confidence in Omar’s chances of re-election after primary victories last week by fellow “Squad” member Rashida Tlaib in Michigan and by an activist Black Lives Matter in a primary conference in St. Louis. Louis area. Progressives also maintained momentum from the renewed focus on racial and economic justice following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Shari Dveris, a 42-year-old schoolteacher, said she voted for Melton-Meaux because she did not think the congresswoman “did anything for her constituencies,” reflecting the challenger’s claim that Omar prioritized celebrity about the interests of their district. Dveris, who voted early Monday in St. Louis. Louis Park, a suburb of Minneapolis with a large Jewish community, said Omar “pulled an ace-and-switch” on the Jewish community during her 2018 campaign, namely with her support for the Boycott, Divest and Sanction, as BDS movement against Israel.
“I just think he will do more for us,” she said. “(Melton-Meaux) seems very honest and sincere, and I’m impressed with what he’s said so far.”
John Hildebrand, a 47-year-old teacher in Minneapolis who voted for Omar, said her national profile is an advantage.
“I think it is precisely their presence that encourages other Muslims and Somalis to run for office and seek to be represented,” he said. “I think she’s just getting more and more people involved in the political system.”
