Rep. Ilhan Omar won the Democratic primary in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, clearing the way for her to run for reelection to a fourth term.

The incumbent congresswoman defeated former Minneapolis City Council Member Don Samuels in a rematch of the 2022 primary — though by a much wider margin.

With nearly all precincts reporting, Omar held a 13-point lead over Samuels, a far cry from the previous contest in which she eked out victory by less than 2 points.

Omar and her supporters celebrated the win at Nighthawks in south Minneapolis.

“Tonight’s victory belongs to our incredible campaign staff, it belongs to the incredible volunteers, our elected leaders, and it certainly belongs to the voters,” Omar said in a victory speech Tuesday night.

She will now face Republican challenger Dalia Al-Aqidi in the November general election.

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Samuels delivered a concession speech before campaign staff and volunteers in St. Louis Park.

“We believe the results show people are hungry for a different result to leadership, one that is focused on the people of the 5th Congressional District and the challenges they face,” Samuels said. “Taking on an incumbent, let alone a party-endorsed incumbent with a national fundraising base is a herculean task.”

He issued a statement on the loss late Tuesday night:

“Despite our best efforts – and the efforts of thousands of volunteers, donors, and our dedicated staff – we unfortunately did not prevail tonight. Still, we believe the results show that people are hungry for a different approach to leadership – one that is focused on the people of the Fifth Congressional District and the challenges they face. Taking on an incumbent, let alone a party-endorsed incumbent, with a national fundraising base is a Herculean task.

I’ve lived my life in honor of a commitment I made in college to always live in the most challenged part of my city. I did it because I believe that we are all called to leverage our talents and resources to work with others who are seeking positive change and improvement. I’ve done it my whole adult life- and it’s why I ran for Congress. I plan to continue to do that, and I hope it inspires others to take up the tough challenges, knowing that there are people across the diverse neighborhoods of this district who will give of themselves to participate in that work. While I’m humbled by the results, I’m inspired by what we accomplished together.”

An interesting twist in the final days of the race came from Minnesota GOP-endorsed Senate candidate Royce White, urging supporters to vote for Samuels.

On the social media platform X, White posted telling his supporters to pull a democratic ballot in the primary, saying, “…if you are a Republican IN Ilhan Omar’s district (cd5), you can vote in the Democratic primary to help unseat her.”

“I’m not familiar with a Republican or Democrat taking this step,” said Larry Jacobs, a political expert from the University of Minnesota. “If Royce White is able to convince thousands of his supporters to cast a ballot for Don Samuels, it could alter the outcome.”

“It is shameful that my opponent’s campaign has actively courted Republicans to vote for him in the primary, along with seeking funding from AIPAC – which is deeply unpopular with voters in the Fifth District,” said Omar in a news release. “Relying on the support of MAGA Republicans is antithetical to the values of our district and reeks of desperation from a campaign out of step with the people of the Fifth District.”

Samuels’ campaign manager, Joe Radinovich, called it a “bogus claim” by Rep. Omar.

“Don, a lifelong, progressive, pragmatic Democrat, who has raised over 75% of his money from within the district, nearly all of it from Democratic donors,” Radinovich wrote in part in a statement. “Of course, the last thing Rep. Omar wants this race to be about is her record, so she’s making this last desperate effort to talk about something else.”

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