Another Empowered Woman new on the scene
Is llhan Abdullahi Omar (born October 4, 1981) is a Somali American politician from Minnesota. In 2016, she was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives as a member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, making her the first Somali American elected to legislative office in the United States.
# Ilhan Abdullahi Omarborn October 4, 1981)is a Somali American politician from Minnesota. In 2016, she was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives as a member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, making her the first Somali American elected to legislative office in the United States
On November 6, 2018, Omar became the first Somali American elected to the United States Congress, representing Minnesota's 5th congressional district, which spans Minneapolis, Edina, Richfield, Golden Valley and other suburbs. Along with Rashida Tlaib of the Democratic Party, from the 13th Congressional district of Michigan, she was one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress. Omar is also the first Somali American elected to Congress, and the first woman of color to serve as a U.S. Representative from Minnesota.
Omar was born on October 4, 1981,in Mogadishu and was raised in Baydhabo, Somalia. She was the youngest of seven siblings. Ilhan's father, Nur Omar Mohamed, is a Somali, and worked as a teacher trainer.[9] Her mother was a Benadiri, and died when Omar was two years old. She was thereafter raised by her father and grandfather.
Ilhan's grandfather, Abukar, was the director of Somalia's National Marine Transport, with her uncles and aunts also working as civil servants and educators. After the start of the civil war in 1991, she and her family fled the country and spent four years in a refugee camp in Kenya.
In 1995, Omar and her family's application to be resettled as refugees in the U.S. was approved, and they initially settled in Arlington, Virginia. In 1995, they moved to Minneapolis, where Ilhan learned English. Her father worked initially as a taxi driver, later as a postal office worker. Her father and grandfather emphasized during her upbringing the importance of democracy, and she accompanied her grandfather to caucus meetings at age 14, serving as his interpreter.Omar became a U.S. citizen in 2000 when she was 17 years old.
Omar attended Edison High School, and volunteered there as a student organizer. She graduated from North Dakota State University with bachelor's degrees in political science and international studies in 2011
On June 5, 2018, Omar filed to run for the U.S. House from Minnesota's 5th congressional district after Representative Keith Ellison announced he would not seek re-election.(Ellison instead ran successfully for Attorney General of Minnesota.) On June 17, she was endorsed by the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party after two rounds of voting.Omar won the August 14 primary with 48.2% of the vote.
She faced health care worker and conservative activist Jennifer Zielinski in the November 6 general election.
she won with 78.0% of the vote, becoming the first Somali American elected to the U.S. Congress, the first Muslim former refugee to be elected to the House, the first woman of color to serve as a U.S. Representative from Minnesota,and (alongside former Michigan state representative Rashida Tlaib) one of the first Muslim women elected to the U.S. Congress.After her election, a proposal was made to lift the ban on head covering in the U.S. House.
Omar received the largest percentage of the vote of any female candidate for U.S. House in state history,as well as the largest percentage of the vote for a non-incumbent candidate for U.S. House (excluding those running against only non-major-party candidates) in state history.
On November 6, 2018, Omar became the first Somali American elected to the United States Congress, representing Minnesota's 5th congressional district, which spans Minneapolis, Edina, Richfield, Golden Valley and other suburbs. Along with Rashida Tlaib of the Democratic Party, from the 13th Congressional district of Michigan, she was one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress. Omar is also the first Somali American elected to Congress, and the first woman of color to serve as a U.S. Representative from Minnesota.
Omar was born on October 4, 1981,in Mogadishu and was raised in Baydhabo, Somalia. She was the youngest of seven siblings. Ilhan's father, Nur Omar Mohamed, is a Somali, and worked as a teacher trainer.[9] Her mother was a Benadiri, and died when Omar was two years old. She was thereafter raised by her father and grandfather.
Ilhan's grandfather, Abukar, was the director of Somalia's National Marine Transport, with her uncles and aunts also working as civil servants and educators. After the start of the civil war in 1991, she and her family fled the country and spent four years in a refugee camp in Kenya.
In 1995, Omar and her family's application to be resettled as refugees in the U.S. was approved, and they initially settled in Arlington, Virginia. In 1995, they moved to Minneapolis, where Ilhan learned English. Her father worked initially as a taxi driver, later as a postal office worker. Her father and grandfather emphasized during her upbringing the importance of democracy, and she accompanied her grandfather to caucus meetings at age 14, serving as his interpreter.Omar became a U.S. citizen in 2000 when she was 17 years old.
Omar attended Edison High School, and volunteered there as a student organizer. She graduated from North Dakota State University with bachelor's degrees in political science and international studies in 2011
On June 5, 2018, Omar filed to run for the U.S. House from Minnesota's 5th congressional district after Representative Keith Ellison announced he would not seek re-election.(Ellison instead ran successfully for Attorney General of Minnesota.) On June 17, she was endorsed by the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party after two rounds of voting.Omar won the August 14 primary with 48.2% of the vote.
She faced health care worker and conservative activist Jennifer Zielinski in the November 6 general election.
she won with 78.0% of the vote, becoming the first Somali American elected to the U.S. Congress, the first Muslim former refugee to be elected to the House, the first woman of color to serve as a U.S. Representative from Minnesota,and (alongside former Michigan state representative Rashida Tlaib) one of the first Muslim women elected to the U.S. Congress.After her election, a proposal was made to lift the ban on head covering in the U.S. House.
Omar received the largest percentage of the vote of any female candidate for U.S. House in state history,as well as the largest percentage of the vote for a non-incumbent candidate for U.S. House (excluding those running against only non-major-party candidates) in state history.
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