Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, one of the more progressive House members collectively referred to as the "Squad" and an outspoken critic of Israel's war in Gaza, has won her primary race in Minnesota.
Omar successfully won the 5th District seat against a repeat opponent, former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels, who identifies as a more centrist liberal.
Addressing her supporters in Minneapolis, Omar borrowed similar themes from the Harris-Walz presidential campaign.
"We run the politics of joy," she said.
"Because we know it is joyful to fight for your neighbors. ... We know it is joyful to make sure housing is a human right. We know it is joyful to fight for health care to be a human right. We know it is joyful to want to live in a peaceful and equitable world."
Samuels said he was "very disappointed" with his loss, according to The Associated Press.
He's long criticized Omar's condemnation of the Israeli government's handling of the Israel-Hamas war, and while Omar has also criticized Hamas for attacking Israel and capturing hostages, Samuels believes she's one-sided and divisive.
"What I was hoping is that a strong ground game and an attention to the details of folks who felt left out would trump an overwhelming superiority in dollars," he said in an interview.
"Clearly, money matters a little more in politics than I had hoped."
Omar's victory avoided an outcome that two of her fellow squad members recently faced.
Rep. Cori Bush lost the Democratic nomination in her Missouri district last week, and Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York lost his primary in June.
Omar will face Republican Dalia Al-Aqidi, an Iraqi American journalist and self-described secular Muslim who calls Omar pro-Hamas.
