Ilhan Omar Has Become the First Somali-American To Be Elected to Congress
She is also one of the first Muslim women to be elected to the House, taking Keith Ellison's seat.
Ilhan Omar, the first Somali-American to serve as Minnesota's state legislator in District 60B, cannot be stopped.
She is now the first Somali-American and one of the first Muslim women to be elected to Congress, Voxreports.
Her race to the House was an easy feat Tuesday, where she took the seat previously held by Keith Ellison in Minnesota's Fifth Congressional District. She beat Republican candidate Jennifer Zielinski 78.5 percent to 21.5 percent, with 98 percent of votes reported, according to the Associated Press.
Omar joins Michigan Democrat Rashida Tlaib in another history-making moment, as they both are the first Muslim women to hold a seat in Congress.
Omar ran a progressive race, emphasizing her commitment to bring the voices of refugees to Congress and supports the need to provide medicare for all and cancelling student loan debt. She herself is Somali-born, who spent part of her childhood in a Kenyan refugee camp. She was endorsed by rising politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, as well as multiple left-wing groups.
Omar was also able to snag her well-deserved seat in Congress despite a sabotage attempt by alt-right activists back in August.
