US Representative Ilhan Omar./COURTERSY
US Representative Ilhan Omar has secured a decisive victory in the Democratic primary for Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, winning more than 80 per cent of the vote.
Omar, a fourth-term Democrat representing a district centred on Minneapolis, defeated several challengers in Tuesday’s primary, according to US media projections.
With more than 95 per cent of the votes counted, unofficial results showed Omar with 122,640 votes. Julie Trang Le followed with 10,201 votes, while Latonya T. Reeves had 9,131 votes, according to figures reported by The New York Times.
Omar’s other challengers were Abena McKenzie and Nate Schluter. Le is a former federal prosecutor.
The incumbent ran the primary campaign without support from AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobbying group.
Omar’s victory puts her in a strong position as she seeks to retain the seat in the November general election.
In the Republican primary for the same congressional seat, John Nagel was projected to win with 52.1 per cent of the vote.
Omar entered the US Congress in 2019, becoming the first Somali-American elected to the institution.
She has emerged as a vocal critic of President Donald Trump and has frequently challenged his administration’s immigration policies.
Her criticism has intensified over the immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota, where two US citizens have been fatally shot in separate incidents.
In January 2026, immigration officers fatally shot Renee Good, a US citizen. Another US citizen, Alex Pretti, was killed on Saturday after he was stopped by border agents. The deaths sparked protests in Minnesota and renewed national scrutiny of the immigration crackdown.
At a speaking event, Omar called for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the federal agency at the centre of the enforcement operation.
She also called for the resignation or impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whose department oversees ICE.
Trump has repeatedly clashed with Democratic leaders in Minnesota and has singled out Omar for criticism.
Before an attack on the congresswoman, Trump told an audience in Iowa that immigrants to the US should “love our country” and be proud of it, contrasting them with Omar.
Following the attack on Omar, Trump was asked by ABC News whether he had seen footage of the incident. He said he had not and dismissed the congresswoman, saying: “I don't think about her. I think she's a fraud.”
Trump later said his administration would “de-escalate a little bit” in Minnesota following the second fatal shooting.
Omar’s comments about Noem came shortly before she was attacked.
