By Nyaboga Kiage,
US Representative Ilhan Omar, 38, who was once a refugee in Dadaab Kenya has won a second term in the Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Omar, the first Somali American member of the US Congress, garnered 64.6 percent of the votes against her closest competitor Lacy Johnson an American Businessman who managed to get 25.9 percent of the votes.
Omar won the district which includes, Anoka, Hennepin and Ramsey counties.
She could not hide her joy and moments after she was announced winner, she posted the progress on Facebook.
“We are building a movement that sees my struggle as inherently tied to your struggle, and sees a world where all workers can be uplifted. Together, Today’s vote- the results of this election- are not the end. This is just the beginning,” the post read.
In 2018, Omar beat Republican candidate Jennifer Zienlinski 78 to 22 percent- which saw her make history as the first Somali- American to be elected to the US Congress.
Early this year, Omar came under sharp criticism following allegations that her campaign paid more than Sh 100 million to her husband’s political consulting firm in 2020.
However, in her defense, she said that most of the money was paid to vendors.
