AUGUST 10, 2016 (MINNEAPOLIS) – Ilhan Omar has been declared the winner of the primary election in the race for State Representative in District 60B. She will be the DFL candidate on the ballot for the November 8 general election.
“Our campaign is about connecting with people and engaging them in the political process. We are uniting the diverse voices of our district – long term residents, East African immigrants and students. I will make sure their voices are heard at the Capitol,” exclaimed Ilhan. “I look forward to winning the general election in November and then co-governing and advancing the shared progressive values of our district when the legislative session begins after the first of the year.”
The Secretary of State, Steve Simon, reports that Ilhan received 2,404 votes whereas her opponents Mohamud Noor received 1,738 and Rep. Phyllis Kahn 1,726 votes respectively. In the 2014 primary, 4,281 people from District 60B voted compared to 5,868 this year, an increase of 37%.
As a State Representative for District 60B, Ilhan will dedicate herself to closing the opportunity gap and advancing an agenda focused on economic, social, racial and environmental justice. “The diversity of our district is our greatest strength,” Ilhan said. “We will draw upon our collective experience to build a more prosperous and equitable Minnesota.”
More than 250 volunteers and 450 individual donors supported Ilhan’s campaign. “I am so proud that the majority of contributions to my campaign are from members of the Somali community who believe in my leadership. As a woman of color, so many people told me that I would not be able to raise money and win this election. Those people were wrong, and I want every young woman of color out there to know that they have the power — and support — to run for office and win.”
A Somali-American, Muslim woman, Ilhan Omar is a progressive DFL activist, educator and policy analyst. She serves as the Director of Policy and Initiatives for the Women Organizing Women (WOW) Network, which works to engage and empower East African women to take civic leadership roles and see themselves as leaders within their communities. She lives in the West Bank neighborhood of Minneapolis with her husband and three children.
