Ihad Omar
Ilhan Omar, the first Somali-American lawmaker based in Minneapolis has jumped into the race for a Minnesota congressional seat.
Omar filed on Tuesday to run for the seat held by Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., in Minnesota’s fifth congressional district.
Ellison is vacating his seat to run for Minnesota attorney general.
This was after Minnesota’s current attorney general, Lori Swanson, announced her run for governor on Monday.
Omar made history in 2016 when she became the first Somali legislator in the United States.
The public organizer and social activist won a seat as a lawmaker in the Minnesota House of Assembly.
Omar, who is a progressive, currently represents House District 60B, which includes sections of the Cedar-Riverside neighbourhood, southeast Minneapolis, and near the University of Minnesota.
She has now withdrawn her House District 60B candidacy in order to run for Ellison’s seat.
“I am excited to be a voice for the voiceless at the capital and make sure that I am bringing the fierce fight that I brought here from my first day,” she said while announcing her candidacy.
“We have a lot at stake this year and we’re going to need somebody who is ready on day one to mobilize and make sure that the voices of our congressional district are heard.”
Omar files for Minneapolis-area seat
Omar will be contesting the seat with several other candidates including Sen. Bobby Champion, DFL-Minneapolis, Sen. Patricia Torres Ray, DFL-Minneapolis, and Republican Frank Drake.
Omar is a former refugee and community activist. The 36-year-old attended middle school in Arlington, Virginia, before going on to obtain a degree in political science and international studies from North Dakota State University.
The wife and mother of three has called Minneapolis home since 1997. Minnesota is also home to the United States’ largest Somali immigrant population
Her political aspirations signal the first instance a Muslim woman attempts to obtain a state seat in the midst of religious and racial tensions.
Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton has said that his little brother was subjected to racial abuse,…
Reggie Bush has regained his place as the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner after over a…
Since 2012, actor Nick Cannon has openly shared his struggle with lupus to support others…
Former USC superstar Caleb Williams has been drafted by the Chicago Bears as the No.…
Stephen A. Smith is an ESPN analyst. People widely regard him as the face of…
Lil Durk is an American rapper and one of the most influential voices in the…
In 2022, Kevin Hart added a new title to his impressive resume: a tequila entrepreneur.…
AEW's latest pay-per-view, Dynasty 2024 on Sunday night saw Swerve Strickland defeat Samoa Joe to…
Renowned civil rights activist Opal Lee, known as the "Grandmother of Juneteenth," will be awarded…
Violet Horne lost her two sons to gun violence within the space of a month.…
An Ohio man said a K-9 bit him seven times after he was pulled over…
Three male foreign tourists who were spotted posing naked in a popular dune in Namibia…
Will.i.am is partnering with other prominent figures to revolutionize the digital media scene by forming…
Sabelle Beraki's childhood was inundated with the lack of representation when it came to a…
Benjamin Harvey is the founder of AI Squared, a third-party software company that helps organizations…