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It’s an Omar-Samuels rematch in Fifth District primary
Three term incumbent faces a rematch with former city council member in Tuesday’s Fifth District DFL primary.
MINNEAPOLIS — The DFL primary in Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District is being closely watched again this election, because it features a rematch between incumbent Rep. Ilhan Omar and former Minneapolis City Council Member Don Samuels.
Samuels came within two points of beating Rep. Omar in 2022, which inspired him to try again this year. He started his campaign in November of 2023 in hopes of getting a head start recruiting volunteers, but still lags Omar in both campaign funding and name recognition.
The Fifth District includes Minneapolis and many surrounding suburban communities. The winner of the August 13 Democratic primary is heavily favored to win in November, because the last time a Republican carried CD5 was in 1960.
Omar is seeking a fourth term, and once again picked up an endorsement from the Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, a progressive liberal icon and two-time presidential candidate. Sen. Sanders headlined a packed rally for Omar at her alma mater Edison High School on Aug. 3, looking to help her win another trip to Washington, D.C.
Sanders recalled trying to console Omar early in her first term in the U.S. House when she had come under verbal attacks from then-President Donald Trump.
“She said, ‘It’s okay. I’m used to it’,” Sanders told the crowd. “She is tough and you should be enormously proud of having her as your Congressman!”
Omar is Somali refugee, who made history in 2016 when she became the first Somali American elected to any state legislature. Two years later, she made history when she won her first term in Congress.
She became a leader in the progressive caucus and gained national buzz as a member of “The Squad” – a group of young, newly elected progressive women. She worked on child nutrition, student debt, infrastructure and veterans’ issues.
“We’ve been fighting to bring back resources to the district,” Omar told KARE. “We brought back $54 million. That is touching the lives of the people we represent, closing some of the equity gaps we have in the district.”
Omar cited the Inflation Reduction Act and the American Rescue Plan Act as legislation that has direct impact on families and communities in Minnesota.
“To get our country back towards moving toward progress, whether it’s the climate crisis, whether it’s addressing the income inequality that exists in this country, or creating new, green jobs.”
Omar became a lightning rod for conservatives when she criticized Israel’s influence in Washington and the Trump Administration’s ban on immigrants from many majority-Muslim countries. She’s become a favorite Trump target, who blasts her in all his Minnesota rallies.
In his rally in St. Cloud July 27, Trump mentioned Omar and Jihadists within the span of a couple minutes, declaring, “We will not let them turn the Midwest into the Middle East.”
Omar, who once described herself as “Donald Trump’s worse nightmare” said the former president has made it very clear how he views immigrants from Muslim nations.
“Trump is somebody who wants to continue to use racist, divisive rhetoric. Trump’s against the One America that celebrates the uniqueness of our diversity and sees its strengths.”
She said her campaign is working hard on turnout because voters tend to look past the August primary as they’re thinking about the November election. At the Edison High event, she urged supporters to spread the word about the primary.
“This election is about whether we are brave enough to fight for a better world, for a more peaceful and just world!”
Don Samuels says he feels good about his chances in the primary because he has 10 times as many volunteers as he did during his first run. Some of the Washington PACs haven’t come through with donations so far, but Samuels has been able to put up some advertising.
“This is kind of a David and Goliath moment, and David is very confident that the few stones we have in our pouch are good enough to slay the giant,” Samuels told KARE.
He said the main reason he’s challenging his fellow Democrat is the belief he can accomplish more by reaching across the aisle, rather than drawing sharp ideological lines.
“I’m definitely the opposite of Congressman Omar, in that I work well with others. I’m always focused on outcomes, maybe because of all the years I spent in the private sector.”
Samuels is a Jamaican immigrant, who spent 30 years designing toys and games before turning to politics. He first drew media attention by holding peace vigils for northside homicide victims.
He was elected to three terms on the Minneapolis City Council, from 2003 to 2014. He made an unsuccessful bid for mayor in 2013, then served on the Minneapolis School Board from 2015 to 2019.
“We need to stop all the rancor in Washington. The rancor makes people feel frustrated,” Samuels explained, when asked why he’s running again.
He said as a member of Congress he would strive to have coffee with every other member of Congress one at a time.
“There’s a frustrated majority, an exhausted majority of people that have kind of given up hope on government. Many of those people are coming out to support me.”
Find your polling place: Click here for polling place locator for August 13 primary.
Samuels began the Lights On! Program in Minnesota, which has now spread to more than 20 states. Officers in cooperating police departments issue vouchers to drivers to pay for repairs instead of ticketing them for that equipment problem.
He was a plaintiff in a lawsuit designed for force Minneapolis to hire more police officers, asserting the city wasn’t moving fast enough to replace hundreds of officers who left the MPD after the civil unrest sparked by the murder of George Floyd.
In the 2022 Election, Samuels made public safety an issue in the race, after Omar endorsed a proposed city charter amendment to replace the MPD with a new department of public safety. Minneapolis voters rejected that proposal, and it’s unclear at this point how much of a factor city police budgets will be two years later.
The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday.
Gary Peterson and his friends are collecting donations to help people in their community.
ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. — A St. Louis Park pumpkin display is raising money for their local food shelf.
Gary Peterson started carving and painting three pumpkins over a decade ago. It’s now grown to over 100.
“I’ve heard people say they’ve come from Hutchinson,” he said.
Peterson along with two of his neighbors have spent the last 14 years growing their display, turning it into a neighborhood event.
“It’s been incredible, I just can’t believe how much this has expanded,” he said. “We did it just because we like to and then people were asking to give us money to cover the cost.”
The trio refused to take people’s money, but then one of them had an idea.
“My neighbor, Steve Leensvaart, just mentioned how about we just do it for the STEP program and the STEP program is our local food shelf in St. Louis Park,” he said.
So, they started to collect donations to help families in need. They’ve raised hundreds of dollars and donated hundreds of pounds of food over the last few years, carving for a cause.
“It is more gratifying every year,” Peterson said.
He estimated they have over 100 unique pumpkins in their yard. They’ve created the displays and come up with new family-friendly concepts for people to enjoy. Peterson said about 30 of their neighbors carved their own pumpkins to be put on display, and it’s been a big hit.
“It’s great. In the last couple of years, it’s turned into more of a neighborhood event,” said Sarah Durch.
“We love this Halloween display, we come every year to see it. We love that the whole community gets involved to craft and carve the pumpkins,” said Jami Gordon-Smith.
“The shading and the details are unbelievable,” said Elizabeth Hanson.
Hanson hopes to take her 2-year-old son trick or treating for the first time but is worried the cold temperatures might keep them indoors.
“We’re going trick or treating hopefully,” she said. “He’s going to be a firefighter, but we’re probably going to have sweatshirts maybe like two pairs of sweatpants underneath. We’re going to be bundled up.”
Gordon-Smith said her family will be out Halloween night no matter the weather.
“Halloween only comes once a year, so you really have to take advantage and enjoy the evening no matter what the weather brings,” she said. “Guess it’s not totally unheard of in Minnesota to have a cold Halloween, but we are going to try and modify and do a lot of layers underneath our costumes and then we might add some hats and maybe some warmer socks.”
Durch also isn’t surprised they’re in for another chilly night.
“Well, what would Halloween be without Minnesota cold? I feel like every time you plan a costume you have to plan for how you can make this work if it’s snowing,” she said.
Peterson said they will have a bonfire and some hot chocolate and cider on Halloween to keep trick-or-treaters warm while they look at their pumpkins.
Click here to learn where you can see the pumpkins and how you can donate.
Jeremy Jourdain was 17 when he was last seen on Halloween 2016.
BEMIDJI, Minn. — The search for Jeremy Jourdain, who was last seen on Halloween in 2016, continues now eight years later.
Jourdain was last seen at a family member’s house in Bemidji, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior Indian Affairs. He left the residence near the 500 block of Wood Avenue after midnight and while people followed him, no one was able to find him.
Jourdain was 17 at the time.
Officials said he was wearing a blue and grey sweatshirt, and blue jeans when last seen. He is Native American and is described as 6 foot 5 and 175 pounds.
If you have any information on his whereabouts, you can contact the Bemidji Police Department at (218) 333-9111. Tips can also be sent to 1-833-560-2065, or you can email ojs_mmu@bia.gov.
The organizations say many Asian Americans are planning to vote despite lack of candidate outreach.
ST PAUL, Minn. — Most people have been contacted in some way shape or form by a campaign in the last few weeks. And if the polls are right and the race for president is a dead heat, every vote will matter.
That’s why this is a head scratcher:
According to a September 2024 voter survey by Asian American Pacific Islander Data, 27% of Asian-American voters said they hadn’t been contacted by either political party trying to get their vote. Last spring, earlier in the voting season, it was even more – 42%.
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are the fastest growing racial or ethnic group nationwide.
Their voter participation levels are growing too, with 60% of eligible Asian-American voters turning out in 2020. And AAPI Data reports as many as 90% of Asian Americans they surveyed said they plan to vote this cycle.
“Candidates are not reaching out to Asian Americans, which is a huge mistake,” said ThaoMee Xiong, executive and networking director of the Coalition of Asian American Leaders.
She says even though there are more than 200,000 eligible Asian voters in Minnesota, the Asian vote is under-appreciated.
“Neither the Democratic or Republican parties have been reaching out in huge numbers,” Xiong said. “They’re sending general mailers to everyone but … they need it in their native language.”
That’s why CAAL is partnering with two more organizations to keep voter turnout high and reach anyone candidates or advocates missed.
Xor Xiong is from Asian American Organizing Project, which focuses on engaging metro-area teens and young adults.
“Many of our communities are still facing barriers to go to vote,” he said. “There’s been more times than I like to admit in terms of when I was having a conversation over the phones of voters being surprised that they can take time off to go and vote, or they can bring the kids to the polling locations, or they can even bring someone to translate for them.”
“In Ramsey County, because of the large Hmong American population there, the polls in Ramsey County are federally required to provide interpreters and translated materials,” ThaoMee added.
Their nonpartisan campaign, Get Out the Vote for Asian Minnesotans, aims to get people registered and well-informed.
“Throughout Covid, there was a lot of anti-hate around the AAPI community and we are still feeling the impact of that to this day,” said Amanda Xiong, a community organizer with a group known as CAPI USA. “Even if folks are afraid to go to the polls, due to that, we try our best to then educate them around absentee ballots, voting early.”
“And so yes, there is a huge increase in terms of voter turnout, but then why is it still 70% feel as though they don’t belong?”
In 2021, the FBI reported a 168% increase in anti-Asian hate crimes.
In Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center, the groups knocked on at least 700 doors in one session alone while keeping safety top of mind.
“We make sure that there’s a car following all the door knockers,” ThaoMee said. “We put everyone on text chain … and we are putting a lot of precautionary measures in place for the day of voting.”
After the election, the CAAL plans to conduct surveys and send the results to county election officials. They’ve done this before and say it led to policy changes this year at the legislature including measures to ensure people have easier access to interpreters.
