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A former Minneapolis City Council member is squaring off for what he called “a rematch” against Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) after she defeated him by just two percentage points in 2022’s congressional race. Don Samuels announced his campaign on Sunday, observing that his rival may have already irreparably hurt her own chances for a fourth term.
“She’s dug a deeper hole, especially in this most recent [Israel-Hamas] crisis, and continues to demonstrate that there’s an urgent need for new leadership,” Samuels told the Star Tribune.
After announcing his 2022 campaign just five months before the primary election, Samuels lost to Omar by a margin of 2,500 votes. The rivals squared off on most memorably on the issue of defunding the Minneapolis Police Department, with the more centrist Samuels criticizing Omar for backing the department’s overhaul. The 74-year old told the Associated Press he plans to again lampshade Omar’s “predilection to divisiveness and conflict” in the hopes of driving weary voters his way.