Ilhan Omar: A Profile of the Minnesota Representative
Early Life and Career
Ilhan Abdullahi Omar was born in Mogadishu, Somalia, on October 4, 1981. She and her family fled the country's civil war in 1991, eventually settling in the United States as refugees. Omar became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2000.
Omar worked as a policy analyst and community organizer before entering politics. She was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2016, becoming the first Somali-American legislator in the United States.
Congressional Career
In 2018, Omar was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Minnesota's 5th Congressional District. She is a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL), the Minnesota affiliate of the Democratic Party. Omar is a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Education and Labor Committee.
Political Views
Omar is a progressive Democrat. She supports Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, and tuition-free college.
Omar is a vocal critic of Israel. She has called for the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel and has accused Israel of apartheid.
Personal Life
Omar is married to Ahmed Hirsi, with whom she has three children. She is a Muslim.
Recent News
In August 2020, Omar won the Democratic primary for Minnesota's 5th Congressional District. She is heavily favored to win re-election in November.
Omar has been a target of criticism from both the left and the right. She has been accused of anti-Semitism and of having ties to terrorist organizations. Omar has denied these allegations.
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