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Fellow Democrat Pursues Effort To Boot ‘Divisive And Combative’ Ilhan Omar From Congress

U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) has continually engaged in controversial rhetoric since entering Congress, and now a member of her own party wants to make her the latest member of the far-left “Squad” on Capitol Hill to be defeated in a primary election.

As Fox News reported:

Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota faces voters one week after her fellow Squad member, Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri, lost her bid for re-nomination and nearly two months after another Squad member, Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York, fell to his primary challenger.

But Omar, who made history as the first Somali American in Congress and the first woman of color to represent Minnesota on Capitol Hill, is the favorite as she faces three primary challengers in the Democrat primary. Omar is seeking a fourth two-year term representing the Minneapolis-anchored 5th Congressional District.

Bush and Bowman faced well-funded challengers and millions in outside spending by United Democracy Project, a super PAC affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. While Omar is also a very vocal critic of Israel, she hasn’t been targeted by any ads from the United Democracy Project.

And Omar is considered to be in a much better political position than she was two years ago when she narrowly defeated Don Samuels, who for a second straight cycle is her top challenger.

But Samuels, in an interview Monday on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom,” said he’s seen a surge in his fundraising and in volunteers to his campaign in the week since Bush’s defeat. And he said Omar is “divisive and combative. She picks a side including, simply trying to divide her, her constituency, and ignores the other side.”

Omar has faced significant backlash throughout her congressional career due to a variety of statements deemed antisemitic.

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Many of her critics spoke out again ahead of Tuesday’s open primary:

 

If Samuels is able to pull off an upset victory this week, it would make Omar the third Squad member to be unseated by a fellow Democrat.

According to CNN:

Missouri Rep. Cori Bush has lost her Democratic primary to St. Louis County prosecutor Wesley Bell, securing another win for the same pro-Israel groups that helped oust New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman six weeks ago.

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Bush, a member of the House “squad” of progressive lawmakers like Bowman, was already earmarked for a tough primary in Missouri’s 1st Congressional District – which ended up being the second-most expensive primary of the cycle, behind only Bowman’s race in New York. Her fierce advocacy for a ceasefire in Gaza added fuel to opponents’ fire.

And in similar fashion to Bowman, Bush – despite the backing of progressive groups, local leaders and top congressional Democrats – was unable to fend off Bell, who, like Bush, rose to prominence during the protests in Ferguson, Missouri, a decade ago following the police killing of unarmed Black teenager Michael Brown.

Here’s a clip of then-President Donald Trump taking a swipe at Omar’s views during a speech in 2019:


 

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