Wed 12 August 2020:
Omar defeats well-funded first-time challenger Antone Melton-Meaux
US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar won the Minnesota Democratic primary on Tuesday by a landslide, according to a projection by CNN.
Omar defeated a well-funded first-time candidate Antone Melton-Meaux, an attorney who runs a mediation practice.
Federal Election Commission data showed that both candidates raised over $4 million, with Omar holding a slight edge.
She became the latest member of the Progressives in Congress to win her race, following the victories of Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamaal Bowman in New York and Rashida Tlaib in Michigan.
Celebrating her victory, Omar said in a tweet: “In Minnesota, we know that organized people will always beat organized money. Tonight, our movement didn’t just win. We earned a mandate for change. Despite outside efforts to defeat us, we once again broke turnout records. Despite the attacks, our support has only grown.”
She said this election is not about her but “an agenda rooted in people’s everyday struggles – and the corporations and rightwing donors who are threatened by it.”
“It’s about standing up to a President [Donald Trump] who promised to ban an entire group of people from this country based solely on their Muslim identity … standing up for the basic human rights around the world – and fighting a military-industrial complex that opposes the recognition of people’s humanity and dignity,” she added.
“It has been the honor of my life to represent you in Congress and I look forward to continuing to serve the people of the 5th District in the years to come,” she concluded.
After taking the office in 2018, Omar made history for being the first Somali-American and the first of two Muslim women elected to Congress.
By Beyza Binnur Donmez | Anadolu Agency
