(The Center Square) – U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar easily turned back a Democratic primary challenge Tuesday in Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District, avoiding a fate two other “squad” experienced earlier this year.
Omar lead former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels 56.2% to 42.9% when the Associated Press called the race for Omar around 10:45 central time. Omar beat Samuels by only 2 percentage points two years ago.
Omar is a member of the progressive “squad” that included Reps. Cori Bush from Missouri and Jamaal Bowman from New York. Both Bush and Bowman earlier lost primary challenges.
Omar will face Republican challenger Dalia al Aqidi in November.
With 56% of poll results in for the U.S. Senate primary race, AP called the state’s Republican party-endorsed candidate Royce White the winner at 9:44pm, with Royce having earned more than 52,000 votes, 38.8% of voters.
His closest contestant, Joe Fraser, received 44,197 votes, or 29.7 nearly 25,000 votes, reaching 29.8% of ballots cast.
Other candidates Alycia Gruenhagen, Raymond Petersen, John Berman, Patrick Munro, Christopher Seymore and Loner Blue polled less than 8% each.
White will face incumbent U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar in November.
