Ilhan Omar again makes history, becoming 1st Somali-American elected to U.S. House

November 07, 2018 - 1:03 AM

Minnesota’s first Somali-American state representative has again made history: She is now the country’s first Somali-American elected to Congress.

State Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Democrat, defeated Republican Jennifer Zielinski in the race to represent the state’s Fifth District, which spans Minneapolis, Edina, Richfield, Golden Valley and other suburbs.

Omar, 36, is a vocal advocate for single-payer health care, tighter gun restrictions and more expansive immigration policies. She has captured national attention because of her life story as a refugee who made her way into elected office. She immigrated to the United States at age 12 and served as a Minneapolis City Council policy aide before winning election to the Legislature in 2016.

“Here in Minnesota, we don’t only welcome immigrants; we send them to Washington,” Omar told supporters at a victory party in Minneapolis.