Ilhan Omar Wins Democrat Party Endorsement in Minnesota
https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/ilhan-omar-wins-democrat-party-endorsement-in-minnesota-5648133?utm_source=Goodevening&src_src=Goodevening&utm_campaign=gv-2024-05-13&src_cmp=gv-2024-05-13&utm_medium=email&est=AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAd%2Bc5exoe3sjGzLQDv2xVRbd1xkNWNbZOh4HFRCAK5tFyB8o%3D

MINNEAPOLIS—Political tension filled the room on May 11 during the Minnesota Congressional District 5 Nominating Convention, as members of the divided Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) v**ed for their party’s pick.

U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), 41, one of the original four members of the progressive wing of congressional Democrats known as “the Squad,” hung on to win support from the local party despite attempts by two other Democrat candidates to push her out of the running by denying her the party nomination.

The candidate winning the party’s nomination needed 60 percent of the v**es. Ms. Omar received 60.5 percent (133 v**es), and challenger Don Samuels received 38.64 percent (85 v**es).

Story continues below advertisement
“I’m very excited about it,“ Ms. Omar told The Epoch Times in the hallway after the v**e. ”It’s the first time we won the endorsement on the first b****t. Yeah, really, super excited.”

It is the fourth time that she has gone through the process and prevailed.

Traditionally, after the district convention, candidates who were not nominated drop out and get behind the nominee, although that did not happen in 2022 in Minnesota District 5. Mr. Samuels ran against Ms. Omar in 2022 and lost in the primary by just 2 percent.

RELATED STORIES
As Ilhan Omar Faces Another Censure Resolution, Challengers Aim to Replace Her
5/7/2024
As Ilhan Omar Faces Another Censure Resolution, Challengers Aim to Replace Her
Rep. Ilhan Omar Faces 3 Democratic Challengers for 2024
11/29/2023
Rep. Ilhan Omar Faces 3 Democratic Challengers for 2024
Mr. Samuels, who turns 75 on May 13, is a former Minneapolis city councilman. At the convention on May 11, he vowed to stay in the race.

But with the party’s endorsement of Ms. Omar, more donations will come to her already sizable war chest.

Ms. Omar has raised nearly $5 million and has $2.2 million cash on hand. Mr. Samuels has raised $755,000 and has $233,000 cash on hand.
How the Party Endorsement Works
Video: University of Minnesota Students March in Anti-Israel Protest

Play Video
(L–R) Democratic congressional candidates Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Minneapolis City Councilman Don Samuels during an informational session at the Minnesota Congressional District 5 Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party’s nominating convention in Minneapolis on May 11, 2024. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)
(L–R) Democratic congressional candidates Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Minneapolis City Councilman Don Samuels during an informational session at the Minnesota Congressional District 5 Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party’s nominating convention in Minneapolis on May 11, 2024. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)
In Minnesota, the congressional primary e******n run by the state happens on Aug. 13, with mail-in v****g running June 28 through Aug. 12, but some members of the Minnesota Democrat Farmer Labor party say their party’s district nominating convention is the more important than the primary because, typically, candidates have little chance of winning the primary without the endorsement of their party—although Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, did not get the party nomination and still won the seat.

The convention v**ers are delegates who undergo a monthslong approval process starting in January before they are allowed on the floor to v**e in the DFL nomination process. There are also “super delegates,” who are elected office holders who are members of the DFL.

Story continues below advertisement
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison speaks at the Minnesota Congressional District 5 Democrat Farmer Labor party’s Nominating Convention, in Minneapolis, on May 11, 2024. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison speaks at the Minnesota Congressional District 5 Democrat Farmer Labor party’s Nominating Convention, in Minneapolis, on May 11, 2024. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)
Mr. Samuels had three super delegates, and, in a last-minute surprise to his supporters, Ms. Omar had 28 super delegates.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison nominated Ms. Omar for endorsement and v**ed for her. Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) also v**ed for Ms. Omar as super delegates.

“This is a d******e time. People believe that democracy is actually at risk,“ Mr. Samuels said in his endorsement speech. ”Thirty-eight percent of our neighbors, of Americans, no longer speak to a family member or friends because of politics. There’s an exhausted majority looking to find new leadership that’s just tired of the drama. There a class of leadership today who champions an issue or champions a segment of the population abdicating the rest—that can’t happen anymore. It won’t happen in our district. I want to bring people together, and I know how.”

A third candidate, Timothy L. Peterson, 44, was nominated for endorsement, but after giving a speech that received cheers from the audience, he bowed out of the race and endorsed Mr. Samuels.

“We are in an era of political demagogues where some want to tear down democracy, silence and dehumanize folks, and use political violence as a way to power,” Mr. Peterson said. “Because bringing folks together is much harder than dividing the country. If our country was so bad, why [are] billions of downtrodden folks from all over the world [going to] such dangerous lengths to be a part of our great nation?”

In this diverse district, with one of Minnesota’s highest concentrations of Jewish v**ers and a large Muslim population, Ms. Omar has offended some constituents, and pleased others, over alleged anti-Semitic remarks and full-throated Palestinian support.

Abdul Ahmed, a supporter of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) at the Minnesota Congressional District 5 Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party’s nominating convention in Minneapolis on May 11, 2024. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)
Abdul Ahmed, a supporter of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) at the Minnesota Congressional District 5 Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party’s nominating convention in Minneapolis on May 11, 2024. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)
Abdul Ahmed, 51, who lives in the district, came from Ethiopia 24 years ago. He told The Epoch Times that he has come from a country where there was no t***sparency in government and that this was his first time seeing the process. It made him happy to see such t***sparency in action, he said.

Jacque Erickson, 64, supports Mr. Samuels. She said he has a lot of the same policy ideas as Ms. Omar but is less abrasive. She recalled meeting with Ms. Omar when she first ran for Congress.

“I asked her, because I know coming from a Republican family that if you want to get anything done, you have got to convince the other side of some of your ideas, and so I said to her, ‘What are you going to do to convince the other side?’“ Ms. Erickson told The Epoch Times. ”And she said: ‘Well, my ideas are so sound, I don’t have to convince anybody.’ And I just thought, ‘How arrogant.’”

Of the members of the Squad in Congress, she prefers the style of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). “She doesn’t make incendiary remarks,“ she said. ”Everything that she says is very well thought out.”

Ms. Erickson recounted a story about Mr. Samuels, who was nearly mugged by two juveniles. Instead of having them arrested, he handed them his card and offered them help.