11:29 p.m. ET, August 14, 2018
Backed by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, she could become the first Somali-American in Congress
From CNN's Gregory Krieg
Ilhan Omar, a progressive state legislator, will win the Democratic primary in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District, CNN projects.
Backed in her race by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Omar, who came to the US more than two decades ago as a refugee, would
become the first Somali-American member of Congress if she wins the seat being left behind by Rep. Keith Ellison, who is running for state attorney general, in November. (Earlier tonight, Ellison won the Democratic primary for Minnesota's attorney general.)
About Omar: In 2016, Omar was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives, where she brings
a personal perspective to this country’s heated debate about admitting immigrants and refugees.
Her journey to become this country’s first Somali-American Muslim lawmaker began in a refugee camp in Kenya, where her family was escaping Somalia’s brutal civil war.
After immigrating to the United States in 1995, Omar said, she was confused by the disparity between the country’s high ideals and the stark realities she encountered. But her grandfather, a student of American history, gave her a political pep talk.
“He told me I couldn’t just sit there and complain,” Omar said, “I had to serve.”