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Friends — You probably know that I am a refugee — but I want you to know a little more of my story to understand why I am in Congress today fighting for a brighter future. This is a longer email, but it’s important and I hope you read it to the end. My family fled civil war in Somalia for a refugee camp in Kenya when I was a young child. We didn’t always have enough food or running water — but I had hope that one day we would start a new life in America. A few years later, my hopes became a reality and we eventually settled in Minneapolis. I realized that politics could be a vehicle for hope at a young age, helping translate for my grandfather at Minnesota Democratic—Farmer—Labor Party caucuses. It wasn’t always easy — I was bullied in school and even remember kids putting chewing gum in my hijab. But I never lost sight of the American Dream. Over the years, I’ve had a lot of jobs, working as a cashier, a nutrition educator, an organizer, and more. I understand many of the struggles people face today because of my experiences. I was a first-generation college student with young children, burdened with student loan debt. I know what it’s like to live paycheck to paycheck and not know when your next meal will come. In the richest country in the world, no one should go without food or a roof over their head, or struggle to afford the healthcare they need. The American Dream needs to be accessible to everyone — not just the ultra-wealthy. That’s why I organized to elect strong progressives in my community and eventually ran for office myself. I served my community as a member of the Minnesota State House and decided to run for Congress, winning election the night Democrats took back the House majority in 2018. Every day since, I’ve fought to pass bold policies that center the needs of the people, from Medicare for All to universal school meals to protecting abortion rights. The status quo felt threatened by our progressive movement and tried to defeat us in 2020 — and they’re coming for us again. My opponents have spent more than $4 million to try to unseat me this cycle. There’s no telling how much Republican donors and super PACs will invest in these final six weeks — in 2020, my opponents and super PACs spent upwards of $20 million to defeat me. Early voting has already kicked off in Minnesota, and we only have a few weeks left to reach as many voters as possible at the doors, on the phone, and at events around the 5th District. But first, we need to meet our campaign’s big end-of-quarter goal to ensure we have the resources to re-elect me and elect progressives up and down the ballot. If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately: I will never stop fighting to give everyone a shot at the American Dream — no matter their income or ZIP code. Thanks for being a part of our movement to do just that. In solidarity, Ilhan Omar
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