Ilhan Omar thrashes well-funded primary challenger

Minnesota Democrat Ilhan Omar fended off a well-funded challenger in yesterday's primary election and is and is now all but certain to retain her seat in November's general. Antone Melton-Meaux raised millions in the 5th district race but conceded by 9 p.m. Tuesday after early results signaled a thrashing.

Omar was the first Somali-American and, with Rashida Tlaib, one of the first two Muslim women to enter Congress.

Omar rejected Melton-Meauxs attacks, saying they were funded by interests who wanted to get her out of Congress because shes effective. She also downplayed Melton-Meauxs prodigious fundraising before the vote, saying, Organized people will always beat organized money.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Tina Smith and Republican challenger Jason Lewis easily won their primaries in the only statewide races on the ballot. Elsewhere, in western Minnesotas conservative 7th District, former state Sen. Michelle Fischbach won a three-way Republican race for the right to challenge Democratic Rep. Collin Peterson. Peterson, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, is one of the GOPs top targets to flip a House seat in November.

In Minnesota, we know that organized people will always beat organized money.

Tonight, our movement didnt just win. We earned a mandate for change. Despite outside efforts to defeat us, we once again broke turnout records.

Despite the attacks, our support has only grown.

— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) August 12, 2020

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