Friends — I have 10 free minutes today in between meetings, so I wanted to take some time to share why I came to Congress in the first place — and why it’s so important that our movement has the support to stay in Congress to continue our work for progress.

I was born in Somalia and fled civil war and displacement as a small child with my family, seeking safety in Kenya at a refugee camp, where we didn’t always have running water. I dreamed every day of a better life in America, and four years later, we finally made it here.

We settled down in Minneapolis, where I live and represent in the House today. My love of politics was inspired by my grandfather, who I translated for at Minnesota Democratic—Farmer—Labor Party caucuses.

It was a dream come true for me to live in America, but it wasn’t without its difficulties. I was bullied in school for being Muslim, and kids even put chewing gum in my hijab.

When I was 17, I became an American citizen, and not too long after, I became a first-generation college graduate. Like many young people today, I was proud of my degree but became all too familiar with the struggles of owing student loan debt.

I’ve worked as a cashier, a nutrition educator, and an organizer, and became the first Somali-American refugee to be elected in the United States when I won my race for Minnesota House. It was deeply important to me to bring my community’s needs to the forefront of policy-making.

In the midst of Donald Trump’s presidency and relentless attack on refugees, immigrants, and Muslims, I was elected as one of the first Muslim women in Congress along with Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib.

In the years since, our movement has fought to give everyone a real shot at the American Dream — working day in and day out to enact Homes for All and Medicare for All, cancel student debt, make school meals universal, address Islamophobia and xenophobia around the globe, and center human rights in our foreign policy.

We’ve been a threat to Republicans and the status quo every step of the way — and a lighting rod for their bad-faith attacks.

Back in 2020, Republican mega-donors flooded Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District with millions of dollars to unseat me and silence our movement. While they failed, the status quo is back for a rematch, and my conservative opponents will undoubtedly gain support from donors and corporate interests hell-bent on removing me from Congress.

My 10 minutes are nearly up, and now that you’ve heard a bit more about why it matters so much that our movement remains in Congress, will you chip in to my re-election campaign? Our end-of-quarter deadline is only two days away, and we’re relying on grassroots supporters like you to reach our goal.

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Thanks for your support.

In solidarity,

Ilhan Omar

Ilhan for Congress or ILHAN PAC
PO Box 33079
Washington, DC 20033
United States
Paid for by Ilhan for Congress
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