Democratic congresswoman and member of the “Squad”, Ilhan Omar, has fended off a primary election challenge in Minnesota.
According to US media projections, Ms Omar faced three challengers in the primary contest to determine the party’s nominee and will now continue on to the November election in the state’s solidly Democratic-leaning 5th District.
The race had been closely watched after successful primary challengers took down two fellow members of the “Squad” – a group of progressive Democrats who have been among the most vocal critics in Congress of Israel’s handling of the war in Gaza.
READ ALSO: Palestine President Visit Vladimir Putin in Russia… Moscow Support Two State Solution
It was one of several primary races on Tuesday in Connecticut, Wisconsin, Vermont and Minnesota.
Omar won her Democratic primary for reelection Tuesday and avoided the fate of two colleagues in the House’s liberal “Squad” who lost earlier this year after pro-Israel groups heavily targeted them.
Those groups, mainly the American Israel Public Affairs Committee mostly stayed out of Omar’s race as she faced three primary challengers led by Don Samuels, a former Minneapolis City Council member who nearly unseated her in 2022.
Omar had 56 percent of the vote when the Associated Press projected her victory Tuesday night. Samuels had 43 percent.