Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) is facing intense competition in the race for the 5th congressional district, where she faces three challengers with solid chances of unseating her. According to recent reports, Omar is currently tied with Democratic opponent Don Samuels.
Samuels, a former Minneapolis City Council member, fell behind Omar by roughly 2 points in the 2022 primary. However, he was undeterred by the loss and will take the progressive “Squad” member head in the primary later this August.
The closing gap between Omar and Samuels comes amid controversy surrounding Omar and other “Squad” members for their anti-Israel stance. Since the horrific October 7th attack against Israel, “The Squad” have been outspoken proponents of Palestine while highly critical of Israel.
Samuels’ campaign recently touted a Victoria Research poll that determined 519 Democratic voters in Minnesota’s 5th congressional district to be 41 percent in favor of Omar and Samuels. The progressive challenger to Omar cited the poll’s findings as proof his campaign could defeat the incumbent.
“This poll supports what we already know: We can beat Rep. Ilhan Omar. We talk to exhausted voters around the district every day on the campaign trail, and we hear over and over again how sick and tired they are of the division and dysfunction that define Washington today,” Samuels said about the discoveries from the polling.
He added that Omar is only adding to the “dysfunction” of the current political system, calling for a change-up in leadership in the district. “Sadly, many feel that the congresswoman is contributing to this dysfunction and are ready for new leadership focused on building common ground to deliver results for families and working people in the Fifth Congressional District and around the country,” Samuels added.
Samuels’ campaign manager, Joe Radinovich, noted that if the aspiring representative can effectively campaign on the message that he is a “progressive and pragmatic” alternative to Omar, who lacks controversy, he could feasibly take the race.
“If Don gets his message out – that he is a progressive and pragmatic alternative to Rep. Omar without the divisive comments and history of taking unpopular votes – Don starts this race tied, 41% Samuels to 41% Omar,” stated the campaign manager. “These results outline Rep. Omar’s vulnerability with her Democratic base in the Fifth Congressional District.”
Speaking to Fox 9, Samuels lamented the politically polarized state of America, citing a shocking statistic where over a third of Americans don’t speak to friends or family over political tension. “These are divisive times – there’s a lot of rancor out there. They say 35% of Americans no longer speak to a friend or a family member,” the candidate said. “And so there’s a lot of tension being driven by political leadership. And in a solid democratic district, that rancor continues.”
Furthermore, the close race is gaining national attention, mainly due to Omar’s controversial stances. In light of this, Samuels noted that he intends to step up and win the seat as “the People’s candidate. He said, “I’m totally available, totally accessible, totally vulnerable, and that’s how we’re going to win this race – by being the people’s candidate.”
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