Republican Iraqi refugee Dalia al Aqidi is running to unseat Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar in 2020, referring to her and the rest of “the Squad” as “agents of anger and discord.”
In her campaign announcement released Thursday, Aqidi accused Omar, 38, of “sowing seeds of division” by “actively supporting our enemies” and defending “vicious” terrorists such as Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani. She also took shots at Omar’s use of identity politics, asserting that they “couldn’t be further apart” ideologically despite both being female refugees who are Muslim.
“I am loyal to the country that gave me a chance, gave me a brighter future,” she said in an interview with Fox News. “I’m ready to fight, and I believe that I could win.”
Prior to running for Congress, Aqidi was a journalist for 31 years, working as a White House correspondent for Alhurra, a U.S.-based Arabic channel that airs in the Middle East.
Omar also faces two challengers on the Democratic side, including community organizer John Mason and attorney Antone Melton-Meaux.
