On Tuesday, Aug. 9, Ilhan Omar made history by winning the primary election in the Minneapolis House district 60B. She clenched the victory over Representative Phyllis Kahn. Kahn served 44 years in office, and is one of the longest-serving state legislators in Minnesota history. If Omar wins the general election in November, she’ll be the first Somali-American State Representative and the first Somali-American woman in the Minnesota legislature.

Overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds is nothing new for the 33-year-old Somalia-born community activist. She lived for four years in a Kenyan refugee camp after escaping civil war in Somalia with her family. For nearly 20 years, Omar has been a resident of the Cedar-Riverside community in Minneapolis. As Director of Policy Initiatives at Women Organizing Women, she’s worked to empower first- and second-generation women immigrants in her community.

somali-american woman — Photo: Carlos Gonzalez/Star Tribune

According to her campaign site, the focal point of Omar’s campaign is centered on closing the opportunity gap and advancing an agenda focused on economic, social, racial and environmental justice as well as criminal justice and police reform. In an interview with Minneapolis-St. Paul news station, Fox 9 News, Omar said, “Our campaign is about connecting with people and engaging them in the political process. We are uniting the diverse voices of our district – long term residents, East African immigrants and students,” she said, “I will make sure their voices are heard at the Capitol.”

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Phyllis Kahn

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