By Ilhan Omar is facing a tough challenge in her primary after opposing some of Joe Biden’s biggest pieces of legislation and focusing much of her time being obsessed with Israel. The working people of her district have noticed and now one of the biggest unions in the country has endorsed her opponent, Don Samuels.
The Washington Examiner reports:
Don Samuels, 75, former Minneapolis councilman, has positioned himself as more of a centrist lawmaker, in contrast to the progressivism of Omar, who narrowly won the 2022 primary by just 2% in a race largely dominated by concerns over crime. Samuels’s chances in this race grew Monday when he won endorsements from United Steelworkers and the International Union of Operating Engineers.
“Our campaign is not just about winning an election, it’s about making a real difference in the lives of working families,” Samuels said in a statement to the Washington Examiner. “I’m deeply honored to have the support of these unions and their members as we gather momentum for the Aug. 13 primary.”
He then targeted Omar’s previous moves to break with other Democrats and President Joe Biden.
“Unlike my opponent, who was one of only six Democrats to oppose Joe Biden’s historic infrastructure bill, I’m committed to going to Washington to collaborate with the president and my colleagues in Congress. Together, we can pass legislation that creates jobs and opportunities, not just make a point,” Samuels added.
Samuels has not pulled any punches in his run against one of the most prominent members of “The Squad.”
“Jason George, Business Manager for Operating Engineers’ Local 49, emphasized the union’s support for Samuels, citing Omar’s position on the 2021 Infrastructure Bill as a reason the union is siding with her challenger.
‘Our members deserve representation that prioritizes their well-being over political grandstanding,” George said. “Rep. Omar’s vote against the infrastructure package signaled a need for new leadership in the Fifth District.’
The congresswoman’s campaign in responding to the two unions’ endorsements claimed she has the most Union support in the race, stating on X that “Our campaign is proud to be the only one in this race endorsed by a broad coalition of labor unions. From SEIU to Minneapolis Federation of Teachers, It’s clear that Labor is on Team Ilhan.”
Samuels is a Jamaican immigrant who served three terms on the Minneapolis City Council and one term on the Minneapolis Public Schools Board,” noted a local outlet.
Omar’s opponent has called himself a pro-police Democrat. The Minnesota Reformer noted that “Samuels has frequently aligned himself with the police, even as his successors on the City Council announced a campaign to defund and abolish the Minneapolis Police Department. He appeared frequently on Fox News after George Floyd’s murder during the height of the abolish/defund police movement that coincided with a spike in crime. He also sued Minneapolis in an attempt to force the city to hire more police officers.
Samuels says, in neighborhoods like his, ‘crime still resonates, I know. Maybe the press is a little tired of it, but people are still afraid. When I speak about crime, I speak with confidence, and I know the nuances of it. My opponent, really, is naive on those things.’
Omar endorsed a 2021 ballot initiative that would have given the City Council authority over the police department and was widely viewed as an effort at wholesale change. Samuels campaigned against the measure and for the reelection of Mayor Jacob Frey, and he won on both counts.”
Samuels is challenging Omar for the second time. In 2022, he knocked off the hard-left congresswoman, narrowly losing by 2 percent in the Democratic primary.
Since then, her daughter led antisemitic protests at Columbia University, and she has faced calls for her expulsion from Congress because she claims to hold loyalty to Somalia over the United States, a violation of her oath of office.
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