- Poll Shows Rep. Omar Tied at 41 Percent with Democratic Primary Challenger
- Don Samuels was 3,000 votes behind Omar in their 2022 matchup
- It comes amid backlash against Omar and team members for pushing for no-obligation voting in the presidential primary to protest Biden’s pro-Israel policies.
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Rep. Ilhan Omar’s Democratic primary rival is tied with the progressive team member in a rematch race in the latest poll and is campaigning as a progressive who can work with President Joe Biden.
Former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels is again challenging Team Member Omar in the August 13 primary election after falling just 2.1 percent behind the congresswoman in 2022.
It comes as Omar and other members of the so-called squad face backlash for their push for voters to vote in protest against Biden in the Democratic primary for backing Israel in its war against Hamas terrorists operating from the Palestinian enclave of Gaza. .
Both Omar and Samuels garnered 41 percent support among 519 Democratic voters in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, according to the Victoria Research poll released by Samuels’ campaign.
A new poll shows Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) tied at 41 percent with Democratic primary challenger Don Samuels, who came within 3,000 votes of the congresswoman in their 2022 matchup.
Former Minneapolis City Councilman Don Samuels (left) was nearly 2 percent behind Rep. Ilhan Omar (right) in his primary challenge against her in 2022.
The other 18 percent are those who are undecided or plan to vote for an option other than Omar or Samuels in the summer primary.
The campaign of Samuels, who says he is a progressive alternative who can really work with Democratic President Biden, released the polling data on Monday after it was taken from February 20-27.
“This poll supports what we already know: we can beat Rep. Ilhan Omar,” Samuels said in a statement about the results. “We spoke to exhausted voters across the district every day on the campaign trail, and we heard over and over again how sick and tired they are of the division and dysfunction that define Washington today.”
“Unfortunately, many feel the congresswoman is contributing to this dysfunction and are ready for new leadership focused on building common ground to deliver results for families and workers in the Fifth Congressional District and across the country.”
Samuels’ campaign notes that Omar “encouraged an uncommitted vote in the Minnesota presidential primary and didn’t even bother to vote” on Super Tuesday last month.
In the 2022 Democratic House primary, Samuels lost to Omar by just 2,466 votes, or just over 2 percent.
Omar is the first Somali-American elected to Congress and the first woman to wear a hijab in the House of Representatives. He is also part of the so-called team of progressive lawmakers first elected to Congress in the 2018 midterm elections, which includes Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Massachusetts).
Reps. Omar and Tlaib, who is Palestinian-American, pushed for progressive voters in their states to vote “uncommitted” in their respective Democratic presidential primaries last month.
The effort was in protest of President Biden’s support for Israel in its war against Hamas terrorists operating from the Palestinian enclave of Gaza.
Omar has faced backlash for her strong pro-Palestine stance and her push for voters to protest Joe Biden’s pro-Israel policies by voting “uncommitted” in the 2024 presidential primaries. Pictured: Omar speaks with her partner of the progressive team, Representative Rashida Tlaib, who is Palestinian.
“If Don delivers his message – which is a progressive and pragmatic alternative to Rep. Omar without the divisive comments and history of receiving unpopular votes – Don enters this race tied, 41% Samuels to 41% Omar,” said the director of candidate’s campaign. Joe Radinovich explained.
“These results highlight Rep. Omar’s vulnerability to her Democratic base in the Fifth Congressional District,” he added.
Radinovich said: ‘CD5 voters are frustrated by Representative Omar’s tendency to vote against legislation our district supports and align himself with the most extreme voices in Congress that hold back necessary progress.’
Omar was one of six Democrats who voted against Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure deal.
The Victoria Research poll has a margin of error of 4.4 per cent, but in a poll just two weeks before the 2022 election, the poll correctly predicted the result to within 3 per cent.