Rep. Ilhan Omar won her contentious Minnesota Democratic primary, in which her challenger pegged her as an incumbent who prioritized national attention and Twitter spats over her constituents.
Omar, 37, one of four ultra-liberal Democratic women first elected to the House in 2018 known as the “Squad,” defeated lawyer and mediator Antone Melton-Meaux. The rivals were two of four candidates vying for the right to contest Minnesota’s Minneapolis-anchored 5th Congressional District in the fall.
Melton-Meaux, boosted by pro-Israel donors, was a well-funded opponent thanks to a last-quarter cash surge. He had brought in $4.1 million to Omar’s $4.2 million as of mid-July. The pair had roughly the same amount of money in the bank as of last month’s reporting deadlines.
Melton-Meaux used his deep pockets to spend twice as much as Omar on TV ads in the closing weeks of their bids. He booked $2.1 million worth of time to her $875,000. Omar invested $400,000 online, but outside groups doled out $1.5 million for Melton-Meaux on the same platforms. A Republican-aligned super PAC, Americans for Tomorrow’s Future, even splashed out on TV spots and mail fliers elevating Melton-Meaux.
Omar had establishment endorsements from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, Omar’s congressional predecessor. Melton-Meaux, meanwhile, was backed by the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. The newspaper criticized Omar for missing votes and engaging her now-husband’s political consulting firm for campaign work.
A July internal poll had Omar almost 40 percentage points ahead of Melton-Meaux. Despite projecting confidence, Omar, who lost her father to COVID-19 in June, didn’t follow other Democratic candidates’ lead and knocked on doors amid the pandemic. Her push comes after her decisive win two years ago, in which she notched up 78% support.
Melton-Meaux seized on Omar’s comments knocking Israel and the Jewish lobby, which critics described as anti-Semitic. He contended they were evidence she is more concerned with her national profile rather than her district. Omar, one of Congress’s first Muslim women lawmakers, later apologized for the remarks.
Omar was thrust into the national spotlight shortly after arriving on Capitol Hill, quickly becoming a political foil for President Trump. Trump, for instance, suggested the Squad “go back” to where they came from. Omar, who was born in Somalia but moved to America at age 12, is a naturalized citizen.
Her personal life became tabloid press fodder as well, particularly unfounded allegations she married her brother so he’d be eligible for a green card.
Melton-Meaux faced his own snafu. The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, which endorsed Omar, lodged a Federal Election Commission complaint against him, claiming he didn’t properly disclose his own political consultants.
