The seat she competed for in the fifth district was previously held by Rep. Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, who left to run for state attorney general, and won his primary Tuesday night for that job.
Last week, former Democratic state representative Rashida Tlaib won her state’s primary election, which set her to become the first Palestinian-American woman in congress. There is no Republican running for the seat in the heavily Democratic-leaning district, meaning Tlaib is virtually guaranteed to win the seat in November’s election.
With her primary win, Omar, who is running for Congress in a heavily African-American and very Democratic district, is also guaranteed victory in November. She is set to join Tlaib in the House of Representatives.
Omar addressed her supporters in a tweet, saying “Today is about more than winning, it’s about building a coalition to fight the politics of fear and scarcity. I’m a legislator, a refugee, and a working mom. But above all, I’m an organizer. And I’m ready to organize for the America we deserve. I’m asking you to join me.”