Somali-American lawmaker Ilhan Omar has secured re-election to the United States House of Representatives for a fifth term, after defeating Republican challenger John Nagel in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District.
Omar, a member of the Democratic Party, won the November 3, 2026 election, according to projections by CBS News and local media reports. She has represented the district, which covers Minneapolis and surrounding suburbs, since 2019.
Her victory extends her tenure in Congress, where she has become one of the most recognisable progressive lawmakers and a prominent voice on immigration, healthcare, workers’ rights and US foreign policy.
Who is Ilhan Omar?
Ilhan Abdullahi Omar was born on October 4, 1982, in Mogadishu, Somalia. She moved to the United States with her family after fleeing the Somali civil war.
Omar and her family spent about four years in a refugee camp in Kenya before relocating to the US in the 1990s. They eventually settled in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she grew up and became involved in community organising and politics.
She attended North Dakota State University, graduating in 2011 with degrees in political science and international studies.
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Her journey into politics
Before joining Congress, Omar worked as a community educator, policy fellow and senior policy aide for the Minneapolis City Council.
In 2016, she was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives, becoming the first Somali-American Muslim woman to serve in a state legislature in the United States.
She represented Minnesota’s 60B district from 2017 to 2019 before winning election to the US House of Representatives in 2018.
Omar made history alongside Rashida Tlaib as one of the first two Muslim-American women elected to Congress. She was also the first Somali-American elected to the US Congress.
Her work and positions in Congress
Since taking office in January 2019, Omar has been associated with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.
Her policy interests include healthcare access, education, workers’ rights, immigration and climate change. She has also been vocal on US foreign policy, particularly the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Omar has served on congressional committees, including the House Budget Committee and the Committee on Education and Workforce.
Her political positions and outspoken criticism of some US government policies have attracted both support and criticism, making her a prominent figure in debates within Congress and the wider American political landscape.
Fifth term in Congress
Omar’s re-election gives her another two-year term representing Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District.
She won the Democratic Party’s nomination in August 2026, securing more than 80 per cent of the vote in the party’s primary, before facing Nagel in the general election.
Her latest victory comes amid scrutiny from the Trump administration over alleged immigration violations. Omar has rejected the investigation, describing it as an abuse of power.
She will continue representing her Minneapolis-area district when the new Congress begins in January 2027.
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