Minnesota Democrats who are angry and offended at Rep. Ilhan Omar for her string of comments about Jews and Israel are reportedly considering squelching her next nomination and running a different candidate in her place.
Those who want Omar replaced are looking for someone to contest her nomination and have been meeting to discuss that objective, The Hill reported Thursday.
It’s typcally difficult to replace an incumbent politician, even one as arguably polarizing as Omar, who in her first two months as a congresswoman has sparked contentious debates both as a country and within the party.
“There’s definitely some buzz going around about it, but it’s more a buzz of is anyone talking about finding someone to run against her than it is anyone saying they’re going to run against her or contemplate it,” Democratic state Sen. Ron Latz, whose district overlaps Omar’s federal constituency, told The Hill. “There’s definitely talk about people wanting someone to run against her.”
Omar has provoked accusations of anti-Semitism against her with her chiding of Israel, suggesting at one point that it had “hypnotized the world” and prayed that Allah would “awaken” it. She divided the Democratic Party last week over a resolution that was first meant to condemn anti-Semitism but became a reprimand against virtually every form of discrimination.
Minnesota’s Jewish community is increasingly frustrated with the comments coming from Omar, saying they have actively reached out to the congresswoman to express their concerns.
“Our community is exasperated by Rep. Omar’s unfulfilled promises to listen and learn from Jewish constituents while seemingly simultaneously finding another opportunity to make an anti-Semitic remark and insult our community,” Steve Hunegs, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas, told The Hill.
Favorites to replace Omar include state Sen. Bobby Joe Champion and Minneapolis City Councilwoman Andrea Jenkins, according to The Hill.
