MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Somali activist could become the first Somali-American lawmaker in the nation after unseating one of the Minnesota Legislature’s longest-serving members in a Democratic primary.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Somali activist could become the first Somali-American lawmaker in the nation after unseating one of the Minnesota Legislature’s longest-serving members in a Democratic primary.
Ilhan Omar defeated 22-term Rep. Phyllis Kahn in Tuesday’s nominating contest in the heavily Democratic Minneapolis district.
The district spans the University of Minnesota and is home to a large population of immigrants from Somalia and other East African countries. Omar argued the district needs a fresher face that better represents the diversity and needs of the area.
Omar is a political activist and former aide to the Minneapolis City Council.
Kahn has spent 44 years in the Legislature.