Ilhan Omar On Tuesday's Victory: 'We Earned A Mandate For Change'

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Rep. Ilhan Omar says her commanding victory in Tuesday's primary over challenger Antone Melton-Meaux "earned a mandate for change." Omar's campaign says she won despite outside influences and money flowing from conservative groups.

"The opposition to my reelection was never focused on the Fifth District of Minnesota," she said in a statement late Tuesday night.

"It was about power. It was about maintaining a status quo where women feel that they cannot speak out against sexual harassment. It was about maintaining a system where corporations can fire employees for being pregnant—knowing that a corporate law firm will have their back. It was about pacifying the voices of those who live on the margins of society."

Unofficial vote total from Tuesday, per the Minnesota Secretary of State

• Ilhan Omar: 92,443 votes (57.44 percent)
• Antone Melton-Meaux: 63,059 (39.18 percent)
• John Mason: 2,497 votes (1.55 percent)
• Daniel Patrick McCarthy: 1,792 votes (1.11 percent)
• Les Lester: 1,147 votes (0.71 percent)

During the campaign, Omar fought back attacks from Melton-Meaux and others who made the case that she is more interested in celebrity than pushing for real change.

Minnesota's largest newspaper surprised readers last week when its editorial board decided to endorse Melton-Meaux over Omar. The editorial board of the Star Tribune said Melton-Meaux was the more practical choice for votes.

"Melton-Meaux brings a different sensibility to this race, one grounded in helping resolve disputes to move forward — a skill this country is much in need of," the board wrote in its recommendation.

Omar is the first Somali-American member of Congress, the first woman of color to represent Minnesota in Congress, and one of the first two Muslim-American women elected to Congress

She quickly became a nationally-recognized, though sometimes controversial figure. Her tweets became a subject of national conversation more than once.

In February, Omar issued an apology after receiving criticism from leaders in her own party over comments about Israel.

While she became a favorite target of President Donald Trump and other conservatives, she rose in popularity among progressives.

Omar, along with Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib have been dubbed "the squad."

Earlier this summer, the four lawmakers announced their official endorsements of one another for reelection in 2020, and created the "Squad Victory Fund," a joint fundraising committee that will support their campaigns and their leadership PACs.

The representatives said their leadership is especially critical as their communities struggle from the coronavirus crisis, racial injustices and inequities in health care, housing, education and the economy.

Omar has also endorsed the movement to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department.

"If this election showed us anything, it’s the lengths that those seeking to uphold systems of oppression will go to stop a movement that wants to put power back in the hands of people," Omar added Tuesday night.

"But in Minnesota, we know that organized people will always beat organized money. 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 since 2018."