Rep. Ilhan Omar | BernieCrats.com

Biography

Ilhan Omar was born in Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1982. After the collapse of the Somali government, her family fled to Kenya, spending four years in the Dadaab refugee camp before being accepted into the United States as refugees in 1992. They settled in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where her father's large extended family helped them find their footing. She became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2000.

Omar studied political science and international studies at North Dakota State University, graduating in 2011. She began her political career as a community educator, nutrition coordinator, and later as a Minneapolis city council campaign manager. In 2016, she ran for the Minnesota State House and won — defeating a 44-year incumbent in the DFL primary — becoming the first Somali-American Muslim woman elected to any state legislature in U.S. history.

In 2018, she ran for Congress in Minnesota's 5th District (Minneapolis) and won, becoming one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress alongside Rep. Rashida Tlaib — and the first person wearing a hijab to serve in Congress. She is a founding member of 'the Squad' alongside AOC, Tlaib, and Pressley. A deputy chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, she has been one of the most vocal advocates for Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, free public college, Palestinian rights, and challenging U.S. military aid abroad. She has been endorsed by Bernie Sanders in multiple campaigns.

She chose to run for her fifth House term in 2026 rather than pursue the open Minnesota Senate seat, endorsing Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan for that race instead. She is a member of the Homeland Security Committee and the Education and Workforce Committee.

In Congress & 2026 Reelection

Omar is running for her fifth term in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District, which covers Minneapolis and nearby communities — one of the most diverse and progressive urban districts in the Midwest. She faces no serious opposition in either the primary or general election.

In the current Congress, Omar has continued her signature legislative work: co-sponsoring Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, and legislation to end U.S. military aid to Israel. She co-sponsored the Universal School Meals Program Act, which would provide free school breakfast and lunch to all children regardless of family income.

Her 2026 endorsement of Peggy Flanagan for the open Minnesota Senate seat — rather than running herself — was a strategic decision to stay where she has built seniority and effectiveness. 'At a time when our rights are under attack,' she said, 'it is more important than ever to fight back against the chaos, corruption, and callousness of the Trump Administration.'