Ilhan Omar

In the 2024 House race for MN-5, Ilhan Omar (D) won with 74.4% of the vote, defeating Dalia Al-Aqidi (R) who received 24.6%. A third candidate also appeared on the ballot. Ilhan Omar's 49.8-point advantage over the runner-up confirmed a comfortable win.

As the incumbent, Ilhan Omar benefited from name recognition, established constituent services, and the roughly 2-3 point advantage that sitting members typically enjoy. The 2024 presidential election drove higher voter turnout, which can help or hurt down-ballot candidates depending on the top of the ticket. The wide margin suggests this district is firmly in the Democrat column for the foreseeable future.

In the 2022 House race for MN-5, Ilhan Omar (D) won with 74.3% of the vote, defeating Cicely Davis (R) who received 24.5%. A third candidate also appeared on the ballot. Ilhan Omar's 49.8-point advantage over the runner-up confirmed a comfortable win.

As the incumbent, Ilhan Omar benefited from name recognition, established constituent services, and the roughly 2-3 point advantage that sitting members typically enjoy. As a Democrat, Ilhan Omar won despite the historical midterm penalty against the president's party (Democrat Biden was in office). The wide margin suggests this district is firmly in the Democrat column for the foreseeable future.

In the 2020 House race for MN-5, Ilhan Omar (D) won with 64.3% of the vote, defeating Lacy Johnson (R) who received 25.8%. 2 additional candidates split the remaining vote. Ilhan Omar's 38.4-point advantage over the runner-up confirmed a comfortable win.

This was an open-seat race. Open seats typically attract stronger candidates and heavier spending from both parties. The 2020 presidential election drove higher voter turnout, which can help or hurt down-ballot candidates depending on the top of the ticket. The wide margin suggests this district is firmly in the Democrat column for the foreseeable future.

In the 2018 House race for MN-05, Ilhan Omar (D) defeated Jennifer Zielinski (R) 78.0% to 21.7%. Ilhan Omar received 267,703 votes compared to 74,440 for Jennifer Zielinski, a dominant 56.3-point margin reflecting a safely partisan district.

This was an open-seat race with no incumbent running — Keith Ellison (D) previously held the seat. Open seats typically attract stronger candidates and heavier spending from both parties. As a Democrat, Ilhan Omar benefited from the historical midterm penalty against the president's party — with a Republican in the White House, the opposition typically gains seats.