'Squad' Member Ilhan Omar Wins Primary Race as AIPAC Remains on Sidelines
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) won her primary race on Tuesday after fellow progressive “Squad” Representatives Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) and Cori Bush (D-MO) lost primary races earlier this year.
The Details: Omar defeated former Minneapolis city council member Don Samuels with 56.2% of the vote. Omar has been outspoken in criticizing Israel in its handling of its war with Hamas, while Samuels criticized Omar for this.
For Context: The “Squad” consists of nine progressive House members including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) who have supported policies such as the Green New Deal and universal free tuition. Both Bowman and Bush were similarly vocal in their opposition to Israel's military actions in Gaza, and faced substantial opposition from the pro-Israel group AIPAC in their primaries.
How the Media Covered It: Politico (Lean Left bias), in its headline, emphasized that AIPAC did not pump money into the race as it did with other “Squad” members. The New York Post (Lean Right bias) did not mention AIPAC’s lack of involvement and in its headline described Samuels as “moderate.” Forbes (Center bias) wrote that AIPAC “spent $350,000 supporting Samuels in 2022,” but that “it doesn’t appear the pro-Israel movement has been as involved in this year’s contest.”
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From the Left
Ilhan Omar fends off challengers to win primary after AIPAC stays out of the race
Rep. Ilhan Omar, the final member of the progressive Squad to face a primary this cycle, fended off her primary opponents in her Minneapolis-based 5th District on Tuesday.
Omar prevailed over Don Samuels, a former member of the Minneapolis City Council who had come just 2 points shy of unseating her in the midterms, along with two little-known competitors. Her win comes just a week after fellow Squad member Missouri Rep. Cori Bush lost her primary in an election that drew millions of dollars in spending from pro-Israel groups.
Omar’s race didn’t see that type...
From the Center
‘Squad’ Member Ilhan Omar Fends Off Primary Challenge In Minnesota
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., overcame a primary challenge from former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels Tuesday, scoring an important win for the progressive “Squad” members in Congress who have been targeted in the primaries over their criticism of Israel’s war tactics in Gaza.
The Associated Press called the race at 10:39 p.m. EDT and, with nearly all ballots counted, Omar secured 56.2% of the vote compared to Samuels’ 42.9%.
Tuesday’s primary race was a rematch of 2022, when the progressive lawmaker narrowly defeated Samuels by by less than 2,500 votes—compared to...
From the Right
‘Squad’ member Ilhan Omar easily fends off primary challenge from moderate Minn. Dem
Hard-left “Squad” member Ilhan Omar cruised to victory over her more moderate Democratic opponent Don Samuels in Minnesota’s primary on Tuesday night.
Omar won in a landslide, receiving 56.2% of the vote against Samuels’ 42.9%, with 95% of precincts reporting. Omar’s victory came after two members of the lefty faction of the Democratic party, known as “the Squad” lost to more centrist primary opponents in hard-fought races.
In June, Rep. Jamaal Bowman, an anti-Israel politician, lost to George Latimer in New York’s 16th Congressional District. More recently Missouri Rep. Cori Bush, who has advocated defunding the...
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