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Ilhan Omar, progressive House Representative from Minnesota, won in a primary challenge for her Democratic seat in Congress. Omar’s opponent, Antone Melton-Meaux, was very well-funded and had the backing of several pro-Israel lobbies. This financial backing was likely due to accusations that Omar made antisemitic remarks early in her first term in the House. Omar later retracted the statement, and has since won the support of progressives like Senator Bernie Sanders.
Since arriving in the House, Omar has been described as a member of the progressive “Squad,” a group of Congresswomen of color who represent a new voice in the Democratic Party. Along with Rashida Tlaib, Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Presley, Omar has been a target of progressive support and Republican ire.
“In Minnesota, we know that organized people will always beat organized money,” Representative Omar posted on social media. “Tonight, our movement didn’t 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.”
By winning the primary challenge, Omar has all but locked in her House seat. She’s running in a deep-blue region, and Republicans are even less likely to beat her than Melton-Meaux. Despite his funding, Melton-Meaux lost to Omar in a landslide. The incumbent Congresswoman netted nearly fifteen percent more votes than her challenger.
By winning in the primary, Omar has shown that the “Squad” wasn’t a 2018 fluke. All members of the progressive group have won their primary challenges. Moreover, new progressive arrivals like Cori Bush show that the left wing of the Democratic party is ascendant. When progressives Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren flamed out in the presidential primary earlier this year, many wrote off progressive Democrats as being little more than a social media hype machine.
However, with the Squad defending their seats in Congress and new progressive voices winning their own primaries, this perception is shifting. Even establishment voices like Nancy Pelosi rallied to Omar during the primary challenge. This consolidated the party around an ascendant young voice. This has changed the perception of progressives, with many in the Democratic Party now realizing that their leftward flank is here to stay.
This is certainly a breath of fresh air for many less fortunate Americans. Progressives’ focus on Medicare For All means that older people soon won’t have to scramble to save for arthritis medication and risk missing their bills trying to pay for prescriptions.
