Rep. Ilhan Omar reports raising $600,000 more for re-election bid

Rep. Ilhan Omar raised more than $600,000 for her re-election bid between April and June, ending the second quarter with nearly $1 million in her campaign account.

Omar, a Democrat from Minneapolis, reported the fundraising haul in a campaign finance filing with the Federal Election Commission Monday morning.

The freshman representative has experienced an unusually high-profile — and tumultuous — first six months in Washington. Her history-making election as the first Somali-American and one of the first Muslim women elected to Congress catapulted her into the national spotlight and won praise from those who saw her win as a sign of progress toward more inclusivity and diversity in politics.

But Omar also faced rebuke over a series of comments about the political influence of the pro-Israel lobby which were condemned by lawmakers from both parties for conjuring anti-Semitic stereotypes. A probe that found she violated Minnesota campaign finance law as a state legislator renewedlingering questions about her marital history and tax filings. Those controversies have helped fuel frequent political attacks from leading Republicans, including President Donald Trump.

The latest fundraising totals, seen as unusually high for a freshman running in a safe Democratic district, suggest the attention and attacks continue to energize Omar’s supporters. The former state legislator won the Minneapolis-based Fifth Congressional District with 78% of the vote in 2018 and is not currently facing a primary challenge.

Monday is the deadline for all federal candidates, including members of Congress and presidential hopefuls, to submit their quarterly campaign finance reports. Longtime DFL Rep. Collin Peterson reported raising just $160,000, but ended the quarter with more than $830,000 in the bank. Republican Rep. Jim Hagedorn, whose Southern Minnesota district is expected to be a top target for Democrats in 2020, took in just shy of $197,000. The freshman representative has about $320,000 cash on hand heading into the second half of the year.

Source: Startribune.com

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