'Squad' sweep: Omar holds off primary challenger

U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar held off a well-funded challenger Tuesday and won the Democratic primary in her congressional district, putting her on track for re-election in November along with other members of the "Squad" of four liberal freshmen.

Gloria Tso reports.

U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar held off a well-funded challenger in Minnesota's Democratic primary Tuesday (August 11).

The night also saw contests in Wisconsin, Connecticut, Vermont and Georgia, all setting the stage for November's general elections.

Omar is a member of the well-known "Squad" of four progressive freshmen in Congress, all of whom now look set for reelection this fall.

The best-known "Squad" member, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, handily defeated a primary challenger in June.

Representative Rashida Tlaib won her primary in Michigan last week, and the fourth Squad member, Representative Ayanna Pressley, is running unopposed in the Massachusetts primary next month.

Omar and Tlaib were the first two Muslim women to be elected to Congress in 2018.

Omar quickly became a popular target for conservatives.

President Donald Trump has falsely accused her of supporting al Qaeda, while members of both parties have chided her for her remarks on Israel.

But none of that stopped Omar from sweeping her Tuesday primary.

She defeated attorney Antone Melton-Meaux with just over 57% of the vote.

He had accused Omar of prioritizing her celebrity over her constituents and criticized her failure to show up for some House votes.

But police reform was a top campaign issue in the district, where George Floyd was killed in police custody in May.

Omar called for restructuring the police department, while Melton-Meaux said that police function should be "more narrowly focused." Progressive Democrats have generally done well this primary cycle.

Meanwhile in Georgia, a controversial candidate who has made inflammatory comments about Omar and other Muslims, Marjorie Taylor Greene, won her race in the state's Republican primary.

Greene openly supports QAnon, a fringe belief propagated online that claims "deep-state" traitors are plotting against President Trump.