US election: Somali-born Congresswoman Ilhan Omar wins reelection

US election: Somali-born Congresswoman Ilhan Omar wins reelection

- Ilhan Omar faced two challengers for the Minnesota House of Representatives seat in the November 3 US General Election

- The 38-year-old Congresswoman garnered 64.6 % of the total vote cast followed by Johnson who managed 25.9 %

- She became the first Somali-American Muslim to hold an elective seat in Minnesota legislature or any elected office in the US

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Former Somali refugee who lived in Kenya Ilhan Abdullahi Omar has secured her elective seat after easily beating her closest challenger.

Ilhan Omar.
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar leading a campaign in the past. Photo: Ilhan Omar.
Source: Facebook

Omar, a fierce Democrat woman was running up against African American businessman Lacy Johnson whom she floored for the Minnesota House of Representatives seat.

The 38-year-old Ilhan garnered 64.6 % of the total vote cast followed by Johnson who managed 25.9 %, according to New York Times on November 4.

Independent candidate Michael Moore came a distant third with a paltry 9.5 %.

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A total of 391,704 people voted during the exercise.

Woman progressive leadership

Ilhan became the first Somali-American Muslim to hold an elective seat in Minnesota legislature or any elected office in the United States following her election in 2016.

The tough-talking Democrat is also part of a historic wave of women called Squad who are looking to clinch higher posts.

All the Squad members namely; Rashida Tlaib of Detroit, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( New York City) and Ayanna Pressley (Boston) successfully defended their seats.

The politician arrived in the US at the age of 14 after fleeing civil war in Somalia and lived in Kenya’s Dadaab camp, campaigned on a platform which called for universal healthcare and tuition-free colleges.

She said her political life began after attending local Democratic Farmer Labour party caucuses with her grandfather after arriving in the US.

“It is a district that is very much interested in making sure our progressive values are represented.

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“They know the only way they will continue to be represented is if we have people who are not going to just think about getting themselves to Washington, but think about getting other progressives to Washington,” she said in an interview with MinnPost.

Racist threats

About a year ago, she revealed a racist threat to shoot her at state fair over her political stand.

She shared the threatening message from a stranger who warned her she would not return home alive from a vacation in Minnesota state.

According to the unidentified author, white supremacists were apparently unhappy with Omar's politics and not ready to be led by a woman of Somali descent.

The Democratic Party lawmaker however stated she had to accept the reality of having security, until "deranged people" stop threatening her life.

"I hate that we live in a world where you have to be protected from fellow humans. I hated it as a child living through war and I hate it now. But until deranged people like this stop threatening my life and the lives of others, I have to accept the reality of having security," she responded.

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The development came soon after a US Senate candidate Roy Moore remarked Ilhan should go back to Somalia, echoing President Donald Trump's statement against immigrants.

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Source: YEN.com.gh

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