Ilhan Omar fights for reelection after 'the Squad' sees major losses: What to know about Tuesday's primary

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., a member of the progressive set of lawmakers known as “the Squad,” faces a fight for her political life on Tuesday in a closely watched showdown.

Omar, one of the most prominent lawmakers on the left, is running in the Democratic primary for Minnesota’s 5 ^th Congressional District against former Minneapolis City Council Member Don Samuels. The two also competed in the district’s 2022 primary, a race that came down to just a few thousand votes.

But surely Omar’s race is one of several primaries happening across the country on Tuesday? Why has the rematch garnered national attention?

It’s because the Democratic showdown comes as two other members of the Squad – Reps. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y. , and Cori Bush, D-Mo. – were ousted in primaries earlier this year where they saw widespread pushback from pro-Israel groups.

Bush, Bowman and Omar are three of the most vocal critics of the Israeli government in Congress. But if you’re following Omar’s race and get deja vu, keep in mind that her reelection bid has some significant differences from those of her fellow progressives.

Here’s what you need to know about Tuesday’s primary.

Ilhan Omar's 2022 rematch

First, let’s catch up on Omar and Samuels’ 2022 race. That year, the Democratic lawmaker defeated Samuels by just 2,466 votes. It was much closer than her 2020 reelection primary, which she handily won by a little more than 35,000.

While Omar and Samuels sparred on a wide range of issues, it was policing in America that took center stage in their last election. Omar had been one of the more outspoken lawmakers demanding police policy changes in the state where George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police in 2020. During that campaign, she didn’t waver from her support for cutting police budgets to fund anti-violence and social programs to lower crime.

Samuels ran heavily on putting more money toward police to combat rising crime. He focused on his role in defeating a Minneapolis ballot initiative that tried to replace the police department with a public safety agency.

'Squad' members and the Israel-Hamas war

In 2024, political observers are less focused on Omar and Samuels’ stances on policing and have instead zeroed in on their comments on the Israel-Hamas war .

That’s because Omar is a frequent critic of the Israeli government and has condemned its actions in Gaza. But she’s made more controversial comments than many other lawmakers who have raised concerns about Israel’s actions. She faced significant backlash in April after she suggested while visiting protesters on Columbia University’s campus that some Jewish students supported “genocide.”

But her comments date back to before Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel that sparked the ongoing war. The Republican majority removed Omar from the House Foreign Affairs Committee in February 2023 over previous comments she made about Israel that members of both parties viewed as antisemitic.

After launching his campaign last year, Samuels knocked Omar for voting against sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine but backing sanctions for Israel.

More: Rep. Ilhan Omar vows to 'continue to speak up' after GOP House removes her from committee

“Our congresswoman has a predilection to divisiveness and conflict,” Samuels told the Associated Press at the time.

So if you’ve been following the Squad’s recent primaries, including Bush and Bowman’s losses, you might think Omar is certain to follow in her colleagues’ footsteps, as they were also major critics of the Israeli government.

But there are a couple of factors that set her on firmer ground. For example, Omar has out-fundraised Samuels, according to multiple reports, and she’s spent significantly more on ads to reach voters in the district.

Additionally, Bush and Bowman were facing millions of dollars in spending against them from pro-Israel groups, particularly the United Democracy Project, a super PAC that’s affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

Omar’s race hasn’t seen the same money pour in from outside groups, a factor that could make a difference in her reelection bid.

Contributing: Phillip Bailey and Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ilhan Omar fights for reelection after 'the Squad' sees major losses: What to know about Tuesday's primary