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How radical Minnesota Squad Rep. Ilhan Omar could be the NEXT progressive booted out of Congress
The so-called Squad of the House is seemingly in peril, in large part because pro-Israel groups have put up millions behind their primary challengers.
Two members of the progressive faction have lost primaries so far: Reps. Cori Bush, Mo., and Jamaal Bowman, N.Y.
Minnesota Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar could be next - but the pro-Israel groups have not put the same momentum behind her opponent as they did to target other Squad members.
Omar faces off against Minneapolis city councilman Don Samuels in Tuesday's Democratic primary.
Samuels came close to defeating Omar in 2022, losing by less than 2,500 votes.
Minnesota Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar could be next on the chopping block - but the pro-Israel groups have not put the same momentum behind her opponent as they did to target other Squad members
Pro-Israel group AIPAC vowed to dump $100 million into races to defeat candidates who did not support their cause. But they've largely steered clear of the Omar- Samuels race, despite the Minnesota congresswoman making it no secret she prefers the Palestinian cause.
Samuels said in an interview last year he believes he could have won the 2022 race if he had AIPAC's support.
It's not clear whether Israel groups are staying clear due to polling or a belief that Samuels is not sufficiently supportive of the nation.
The Samuels campaign released a poll in the spring that showed Omar with less than 50 percent of Democratic voters' support.
When voters heard Samuels' message, Omar was only leading 41 to 48 percent. But a recent poll for the Omar campaign showed her with a 27 point lead, 60 to 33 percent.
After the outbreak of war in Gaza, the typically united House Democrats have found themselves torn apart on the matter of Israel. Samuels says Omar bears a large part of the blame.
Omar faces off against Minneapolis city councilman Don Samuels in Tuesday's Democratic primary
'It's because of a very immature interpretation of reality that tends to be dualistic,' Samuels told DailyMail.com.
'You got good guys and bad guys. You got pro-police and no police. You've got pro-genocide and anti-genocide.'
Missouri Democrat Cori Bush, a close Omar ally, lost her own primary to Wesley Bell by six points last Tuesday.
'Congratulations, Wesley! It's clear that Democrats around the country are ready to move on from those who put politics above the people. In just one week, MN CD5 has the opportunity to do the same. To everyone in Minneapolis and the suburbs, I hope to earn your support,' Samuels wrote on X after her loss.
New York Democrat Rep. Jamaal Bowman similarly lost his primary to a more moderate Democrat earlier this summer.
Omar is a favorite target of Republicans. In 2019 she was forced to apologize for saying AIPAC and Jewish people were trying to buy influence: 'It’s all about the Benjamins, baby.’ This year, Republicans reacted with dismay when she said some Jewish students are 'pro-genocide.'
'I think it is really unfortunate that people don't care about the fact that all Jewish kids should be kept safe, and that we should not have to tolerate antisemitism or bigotry for all Jewish students, whether they're pro-genocide or anti-genocide,' she said.
In January House GOP Whip Tom Emmer demanded an Ethics investigation into reports that Omar said she is 'Somalia first.'
Bush had faced millions in outside money dumped into her race from pro-Israel groups who opposed her staunch pro-Palestinian stance.
'Wesley Bell's victory and Cori Bush's defeat underscore what we've seen in races across the country and throughout this election cycle — being pro-Israel is not just wise policy, but also smart politics,' said Mark Mellman, chairman of the Democratic Majority for Israel PAC, in a statement.
Similar to Bush's race against Bell, Bowman's race in New York hinged on a key issue: the Israel-Hamas war.
Bowman, a fellow member of the Squad (at least for now before he leaves Congress this winter), fiercely defended Palestinians and decried the Israeli's actions as 'genocide.'
His reward for repeatedly attacking the Jewish nation's wartime conduct: a pro-Israel SuperPAC coming after him.
AIPAC, a pro-Israel political group, spent massively against Bowman, pumping millions upon millions into the campaign of a local county executive.
With the support of the group, Westchester County Executive George Latimer, a moderate Democrat, sailed to an easy primary win, securing over 59 percent of the vote compared to Bowman's 40 percent.
Bush was the second Squad member to be booted out of the Capitol earlier this week
Bowman was ousted from Congress - the first in the Squad to lose his job
Bowman had also made headlines by pulling the fire alarm during a high-stakes vote in the House and loudly fighting with Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., in the hallways of the Capitol.
Bush was the first member of Congress to demand a ceasefire nine days after Hamas' October attack on Israel. She insists Israel is guilty of genocide in the conflict that has left some 40,000 Palestinians dead, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Bell, on the other hand, has said Hamas is 'openly genocidal' and Israel is 'just the front door' of the threat the terrorist group poses to the US and other Western nations.
He told the Washington Post it was 'important for our national security that we stand with our fellow democracies, and that we stand against terror states, and Hamas is a terror state.'