Incumbent Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar beat former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels in Tuesday’s primary. Winning by roughly 13 points in Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District, Omar’s primary win is tantamount to election in the heavily Democratic Minneapolis congressional district.
This was Samuels’ second primary challenge against Omar; the former Minneapolis City Council member lost by just 2 points in 2022’s primary.
“Tonight, special interests lost and our movement won,” Omar said in a statement. “Thank you to everyone who was a part of it. Every single person who contributed made this moment possible. This seat is for all of us. I will continue to take our hopes and dreams to the People’s House.”
After winning her primary, Ilhan Omar lashes out at her opponent, claiming he aligned himself with "literal Nazis." pic.twitter.com/GRvrQ66ag0
— Alpha News (@AlphaNewsMN) August 14, 2024
A member of the progressive “Squad” in Congress, Omar’s victory comes just weeks after two other members of the Squad, Cori Bush and Jamaal Bowman, lost their primaries.
Statewide, former NBA player Royce White won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate against Navy veteran Joe Fraser. White was endorsed by the Minnesota GOP, but Fraser mounted a primary challenge in part because he believes White will hurt down-ballot Republicans.
Following his loss to White, Fraser released a statement in which he said the Republican Party had embraced an “unelectable candidate.”
Fraser was endorsed by many prominent Minnesota Republicans such as Norm Coleman, Rudy Boschwitz, and Tim Pawlenty. Meanwhile, White was endorsed by Congressman Matt Gaetz and Steve Bannon.
White’s victory in Tuesday’s primary means he will face incumbent Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar this November. White is considered a major underdog in the fall general election; Klobuchar has won all three of her elections for U.S. Senate by more than 20 points.
“I thank every Minnesotan who voted in tonight’s primary election,” White said after the race was called in his favor. “I’m deeply honored to have your support during this critical time in our nation’s history.”
“Together we will bring the battle to unseat Amy Klobuchar,” added White.
In western Minnesota, incumbent Republican Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach beat challenger Steve Boyd handily in the GOP primary for Minnesota’s Seventh Congressional District.
Boyd ran against the two-term congresswoman because he believes “business as usual just won’t get it done.” Earlier this year, Republicans in the district chose to not endorse either candidate. However, Fischbach raised much more money than Boyd and had the endorsement of former President Donald Trump.
Given the significant Republican advantage in the district, Fischbach’s primary victory all but ensures a third term for the congresswoman.
Former federal prosecutor Joe Teirab easily beat defense attorney Tayler Rahm in the GOP primary race for a south metro congressional seat. Earlier this year, Teirab and Rahm were locked in a fierce battle for the district’s Republican nomination. Rahm won the endorsement of the GOP, but Teirab significantly outpaced Rahm in fundraising.
Weeks ago, Rahm announced he was suspending his campaign for Minnesota’s Second Congressional District to assist with the Trump presidential campaign. However, several Rahm supporters had continued to campaign on Rahm’s behalf despite his departure from the race.
Following his win, Teirab will now advance to the November general election ballot where he will face Democratic incumbent Rep. Angie Craig. The race between Teirab and Craig will likely be the closest congressional race in Minnesota this year.
“I’m looking forward to continuing to prosecute the case against Angie Craig and bring back common sense solutions to our district,” said Teirab after his primary win. “Whether it’s record inflation, the chaos at the border, or the crime plaguing our communities, the Biden-Harris-Craig agenda has failed our district and our nation. We can do better.”
Republican Congressmen Tom Emmer, Pete Stauber, and Brad Finstad easily fended off their respective primary challengers on Tuesday. Each of the three Republicans are widely expected to win reelection this November.
Longtime Minnesota Congresswoman Betty McCollum, a Democrat, faced no primary opponent this year and will almost certainly win a 13th term in her St. Paul district.
No GOP or DFL primary occurred in Minnesota’s Third Congressional District, which encompasses much of the west metro area. In that district, Democrat State Sen. Kelly Morrison is running against former judge and state legislator Tad Judge, a Republican.
Luke Sprinkel
Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
