Ilhan Omar secures reelection, defeating pro-Israel Republican challenger

Democrat Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota secured re-election to the US House of Representatives, overcoming a pro-Israel Republican opponent and reinforcing her role as a prominent progressive voice in the US legislature.

Omar claimed her third term representing the 5th District, which covers Minneapolis and surrounding suburbs, with a decisive 76.4 percent of the vote over Republican challenger Dalia Al-Aqidi's 23.6 percent, according to the Associated Press.

"Tonight, Minnesota's Fifth District showed the country what we believe in," Omar said in a statement. "I am so grateful that my constituents placed their trust in me and voted to send me back to Congress for a fourth term."

Her victory follows a challenging primary earlier in the year, when pro-Israel groups, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), backed an attempt to unseat her.

Omar successfully overcame this opposition, raising $1.6 million compared to her primary opponent Don Samuels' $535,000.

Her resounding win against Al-Aqidi affirms her constituents' support despite attempts to unseat her.

Originally from Somalia, Omar fled the country with her family at age eight, spending four years in a refugee camp in Kenya before arriving in the United States in the 1990s.

Prior to her congressional role, she worked as a policy fellow at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs and served as a senior policy aide to the Minneapolis City Council.

Omar has been a vocal advocate for Palestinian rights, frequently criticising Israeli policies and calling for a balanced US approach that considers the humanitarian impact on Palestinians, especially during Israel's brutal onslaught on Gaza.

She was ousted by Republicans from the Foreign Affairs Committee in 2023 for remarks she made in 2019 and 2021 implying lawmakers who supported Israel were motivated by money.

Omar's opponent, Al-Aqidi, was born in Iraq and fled with her family to the UAE in 1988. Her campaign website notes her career as a journalist across the Middle East, with work in locations such as the UAE, Jeddah, and Baghdad.

In 2019, Al-Aqidi relocated to Minneapolis, and in 2020, she briefly launched a Republican campaign for Minnesota's 5th District before ultimately withdrawing.

She visited Israel ahead of the elections, stating: "I decided to come here to show solidarity with the Israelis, with the Jewish people to tell the Jewish people that you’re not alone. This is not your fight by yourself."