U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar survived a primary challenge from Don Samuels on Tuesday. Two years ago, Samuels almost lost by a surprise margin, falling by just two percentage points. This year, Omar won by about 13 percentage points. She spoke to Tom Crann on All Things Considered about her campaign and the upcoming election.
This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity. Click on the audio player above to listen to the full interview.
First, I want to thank the voters for this election. I think it was really about us being out there, talking about the incredible work we’ve done for them and making the case for why we should continue to fight for them.
How do you think your campaign compared to others, such as Cori Bush and Jamaal Bowman, where the incumbent lost?
I think it’s just the conversations about what we’re doing and the reminder of the urgency to vote. Summer primaries are tough, especially late in the summer.
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People aren’t really in the loop, especially in a presidential election year. Everyone’s thinking about the election in November. We’ve found that quite a lot at the door – people say, “I’m so ready to vote in November.” We say, “No, there’s an election going on right now.” And so I think you just have to use every tool you have to remind people to vote and explain to them why it’s important.
Would you say that you have changed your approach to door-to-door canvassing in the suburbs of your district in the lead-up to this primary election?
In 2022, we wanted to conserve our resources to help with the Trifecta that was so successful. This time, we didn’t have that problem, so we had more resources for public relations.
A politics of joy is important because I believe that campaigning positively – encouraging people to participate in our democracy and making sure they are excited about the policies you represent – makes a difference in people’s lives.
I think that’s what our democracy needs more than, you know, hating each other and sowing division and hate messages. The politics of joy, I think, is really a politics of encouragement, of unity, of prosperity, of making sure that we’re all included.
What important issues did you address during your door-to-door campaigning?
The main issues people talked to us about were making life affordable. We heard a lot of conversations about housing and the instability that exists in the market right now. We heard a lot about education.
I’m on the House Education and Labor Committee, so we’ve talked a lot about how to resource our schools. We’ve talked a lot about the climate crisis. We’re living through an unusual summer and we’re feeling the effects. And of course, we’ve talked a lot about what it means for us to fight for a more peaceful world.
What would you like to hear from Vice President Harris on affordability and inflation?
I think there was some good news today on inflation where we’re seeing prices go down. Obviously corporate greed is a big part of that. I introduced a bill called the Shrinkflation Reduction Act to address the fact that packages are smaller and prices are higher.
I know the Biden-Harris administration is working on some policies, and I hope to hear from them on the campaign trail about implementing some of those policies.
People are still waiting to see what Harris’ policy will be on Gaza. What would you like to hear from the Vice President on this issue?
There is one thing we have asked of the Biden-Harris administration, and I hope Vice President Harris will outline this: We must be able to make Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu realize the extent of the destruction he has caused, that bringing the hostages home is serious and urgent, and that this war must end immediately.
And I think there’s more that can be done than we’re currently seeing to exert that influence, and that’s what I hope to hear from Vice President Harris.
You say you want to end the war now. You have called for a ceasefire. Are you one of those calling for an arms embargo? And do you think that would bring the situation to a halt more quickly?
Yes, that is part of our influence. We cannot continue to supply them with weapons and then say, “You must stop the war.” We must stop supplying weapons so that the war can be ended immediately.
Minnesota and Michigan had a significant number of undecided voters in the presidential primary. What do you say to voters who aren’t convinced by the Harris-Walz ticket and who say they might vote for a third party or wait because Harris’ campaign might need them in states like Michigan?
Yes, and I hope they know they need them and try to win their votes by listening to them. These are the people I represent who lost 13, 14, some even 100 family members in this war, and they want to vote for a Democrat.
They don’t want Trump to be president again. Many of us have suffered under this presidency, and that’s why I hope the Harris-Walz team will convince them and try to win their votes.
I agree that we cannot afford to mess around and make Trump president, but I also hope that more effort is made to make the case for why they should support the Harris-Walz ticket.
What role will you play in the run-up to the election? Some would say you have already completed the most difficult part of your election season.
Well, I’m going to do everything I can to make sure they’re successful, not just in Minnesota, but across the country. I’ve participated as a speaker at several campaign events so far, and I’m excited to campaign for them to be our next president and vice president.
That is my hope. To defeat Trump, we need unity.
