{"id":64823,"date":"2020-08-12T03:21:44","date_gmt":"2020-08-12T03:21:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/virusreports.net\/ilhan-omar-fends-off-primary-challenge\/"},"modified":"2020-08-12T03:21:44","modified_gmt":"2020-08-12T03:21:44","slug":"ilhan-omar-fends-off-primary-challenge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/virusreports.net\/ilhan-omar-fends-off-primary-challenge\/","title":{"rendered":"Ilhan Omar fends off primary challenge"},"content":{"rendered":"
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MINNEAPOLIS<\/a> \u2014 Rep. Ilhan Omar<\/a> of Minnesota on Tuesday survived a stiff Democratic primary challenge from a well-funded opponent who tried to make an issue of her national celebrity.<\/p>\n

Omar<\/a>, seeking her second term in November, defeated Antone Melton-Meaux, an attorney and mediator who raised millions in anti-Omar money.<\/p>\n

Melton-Meaux used the cash to paper the district and flood airwaves with his \u201cFocused on the Fifth\u201d message that portrayed Omar<\/a>, a member of \u201cThe Squad\u201d of four progressive female members of Congress, as out of touch with the Minneapolis<\/a>-area 5th District.<\/p>\n

Omar<\/a> in 2018 became one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress, building on a national profile that started when the onetime refugee from Somalia was elected to the Minnesota Legislature just two years earlier. Her aggressive advocacy on liberal issues, and her eagerness to take on Donald Trump, made her even more prominent.<\/p>\n

Omar<\/a> rejected Melton-Meaux\u2019s attacks, saying they were funded by interests who wanted to get her out of Congress because she\u2019s effective. She also downplayed Melton-Meaux\u2019s prodigious fundraising before the vote, saying, \u201cOrganized people will always beat organized money.\u201d<\/p>\n

Democratic U.S. Sen. Tina Smith and Republican challenger Jason Lewis easily won their primaries in the only statewide races on the ballot. Elsewhere, in western Minnesota\u2019s conservative 7th District, former state Sen. Michelle Fischbach was the endorsed Republican in a three-way race for the right to challenge Democratic Rep. Collin Peterson. Peterson, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, is one of the GOP\u2019s top targets to flip a House seat in November.<\/p>\n

After entering Congress with fanfare, Omar<\/a> hurt herself early with comments about Israel and money that even some fellow Democrats called anti-Semitic, and found herself apologizing. She also came under scrutiny when her marriage fell apart and she married her political consultant months after denying they were having an affair.<\/p>\n

Republicans also raised questions about continuing payments to her new husband\u2019s firm, though experts said they aren\u2019t necessarily improper.<\/p>\n

In the wake of George Floyd\u2019s death in Minneapolis<\/a>, police reform also emerged as an issue. Omar<\/a> supported a push by a majority of the Minneapolis City Council to replace the city\u2019s police department with something new. Melton-Meaux did not support that but did support shifting some funding away from police to more social service-oriented programs. Both touched on the issue in personal ways, with Omar<\/a> saying she wanted her son to grow up safely. Melton-Meaux, who is also Black, told a personal story of being detained while at the University of Virginia by police seeking an assault suspect reported to have run into his apartment building.<\/p>\n

Progressive Democrats gained confidence in Omar<\/a>\u2019s reelection chances after primary victories last week by fellow \u201cSquad\u201d member Rashida Tlaib in Michigan and by Cori Bush, a Black Lives Matter activist, in a St. Louis-area congressional primary. Progressives also claimed momentum from the renewed focus on racial and economic justice after Floyd\u2019s death.<\/p>\n

Catherine Thornton, 36, a General Mills researcher who lives in southwest Minneapolis<\/a>, said Tuesday that she voted for Melton-Meaux.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a lot of respect for Ms. Omar<\/a>, but I personally don\u2019t align with just her focus on the progressive agenda. And I felt like Mr. Melton-Meaux would have more focus on our district and the people of our district\u2019s needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wendy Helgeson, 57, a consultant, backed Omar<\/a> two years ago, even installing a lawn sign in her yard, and said she was \u201cawfully proud of her being the first Black Muslim woman that we elected.\u201d But she said she was concerned about campaign payments to Omar<\/a>\u2019s husband\u2019s firm as well as her national presence, and found it easy to vote for Melton-Meaux, whom she said has been her friend for 12 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cI admire her as a woman,\u201d Helgeson said of Omar<\/a>. \u201cAs a candidate, ehhh \u2026 I have some reservations.\u201d<\/p>\n

John Hildebrand, a 47-year-old teacher in Minneapolis<\/a> who voted for Omar<\/a>, said her national profile is an advantage.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think just her presence encourages other Muslims and Somalis to run for office and to seek to be represented,\u201d he said. \u201cI think she just engages people in the political system more and more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Blake Smith, 23, a parks worker who is Black and described himself as a leftist, also backed Omar<\/a>. He\u2019s concerned about climate change, Medicare for all and getting money out of politics, and he sees her as an ally.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s more time for radical change than like small – I don\u2019t think we have time for incremental change anymore,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Doug Glass contributed. Ibrahim is a corps member for the Associated Press\/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.<\/em><\/p>\n

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MINNEAPOLIS \u2014 Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota on Tuesday survived a stiff Democratic primary challenge from a well-funded opponent who tried to make an issue of her national celebrity. Omar, seeking her second term in November, defeated Antone Melton-Meaux, an attorney and mediator who raised millions in anti-Omar money. 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