Ilhan Omar wins fifth congressional term with 76% after home search

Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar, who is of Somali refugee origin, defeated her rival by about 60 percentage points in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District weeks after federal agents searched her home. After her victory, Omar said, "We will not let Trump silence us."

Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota was elected to the House of Representatives for a fifth time, receiving 76.48% of the vote in the 5th Congressional District despite federal agents searching her home in Washington in October and the Trump administration questioning her citizenship. According to unofficial results from the Minnesota Secretary of State, Omar received 262,702 votes after all precincts had reported, while her Republican rival, former state police officer John Nagel, received 16.23% and independent candidate DeVelle L. Jackson received 7.02%. The margin was about 60 percentage points.

Minnesota 5. Seçim Bölgesi resmi seçim sonuçları

When Omar, who is of Somali origin, was first elected in 2018, she became the first African refugee to enter Congress. She has represented the district, which includes Minneapolis and its surrounding suburbs, ever since. After her victory, she posted the following message on social media: "Thank you, Minnesota! It is a great honor to continue representing you with a strong mandate in the People's House. We will not let Trump silence us."

Celebration with Somali songs at Karmel Mall

Omar celebrated election night with hundreds of supporters at Karmel Mall in Minneapolis, one of the meeting places of the city's Somali community. Dalsan TV footage showed her telling the crowd, "We will go to Congress together."

Supporters cheered Omar as she danced to a Somali song alongside Somali hip-hop artist Qeys Ilkacase during the celebration.

Search, investigation and debate over denaturalization

The election victory came weeks after HSI, the investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security, searched Omar's home in Washington in October. The Justice Department said the search was part of a criminal investigation. Officials have referred to unsubstantiated allegations that Omar's 2009 marriage was fraudulent and that her father misrepresented his age on citizenship applications. Omar, who became a U.S. citizen in 2000, has not been charged, and no evidence has been made public. She described the search as "a scandalous abuse of power" and the investigation as "a tactic of intimidation."

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Tom Homan, who is responsible for border security, had said that the administration was considering the option of denaturalizing Omar. Legal experts stress that this would be unprecedented for a sitting member of Congress. In 2019, Trump told Omar to "go back" to her country, called her "trash" and called for her to be investigated. In an interview with The Nation days before the election, Omar said, "Trump has an unhealthy and frightening obsession with me." She described herself as "a woman, an immigrant, a refugee, a Muslim woman who wears a hijab" and "someone who refuses to be intimidated and silenced."

Videos: Dalsan TV. Images: Minnesota Secretary of State, Ilhan Omar, Clash Report

Ilhan Omar wins fifth congressional term with 76% after home search