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Revision as of 20:56, 18 September 2016 by Amenawat (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)| Ilhan Omar | |
|---|---|
| File:Http://www.ilhanomar.com//s/IlhanOmar Headshot600p.jpg | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1982 Somalia |
| Spouse | Married |
| Children | Three |
| Residence(s) | Cedar-Riverside, Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Alma mater | North Dakota State University |
| Website | Official website |
Ilhan Omar (born in 1982) is a Somali American politician from Minnesota.
On August 9, 2016, she defeated Phyllis Kahn and Mohamud Noor in the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party primary to become the DFL nominee for the 2016 Minnesota House election for district 60B. Given the demographics of the district, she is expected to win in November to become the first Somali-American legislator in the United States and the first Muslim woman to hold office in Minnesota.
Campaign
See also: Minnesota House of Representatives election, 2016Omar describes herself as a “progressive DFL activist and educator”, and is the policy director for the Women Organizing Women Network (WOW), a group which advocates for East African women taking on civic and political leadership roles. Omar says her chief policy goals are building a more inclusive economy, ending racial disparity in education, increasing economic, social, racial and environmental justice, substantially lowering the cost of higher education, combatting climate change, reducing the number of people in prison, and police reform — particularly replacing most use of deadly force with techniques of de-escalation, improving police training, increasing the diversity of police forces and requiring external investigations of any deaths at the hands of police officers. She has said that she supports a $15 per hour minimum wage. With regard to the affordability of college, she has stated that she would support free tuition for students with a family income of less than $125,000 and that she supports the expansion of student loan forgiveness programs.
Omar’s chief rival in the general election, Republican nominee Abdimalik Askar, also an activist in the Somali-American community, has subsequently announced his withdrawal from the campaign, although his name will likely remain on the ballot for the November election. Askar was grieving over the death of his father while attempting to complete a doctorate at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota.
Personal life
Omar was born in Somalia in 1982. At the age of eight, she fled the Somali Civil War as a refugee with her family and spent four years in a Kenyan refugee camp before attending middle school in Arlington, Virginia when she, her siblings, and her father, Nur Omar, arrived in the U.S. in 1995. She states that her father opted to move them to Minnesota for economic security and because of its reputedly excellent education system.She has lived in Minneapolis, Minnesota since 1997.
Omar has shown interest in politics since the age of 14 and obtained her degree in political science and international studies at North Dakota State University. She has three children.
Awards
In 2015, she was awarded the Community Leadership Award at the African Awards. The awards are organized by an African immigrant focused newspaper called Mshale in Minneapolis. The paper claims in its promotional materials that the winners are chosen by its readers.
References
- Duarte, Lorena (October 21, 2015). "'Done Wishing': Ilhan Omar on why she's running for House District 60B". Retrieved August 18, 2016.
- ^ Prakash, Nidhi (March 1, 2016). "Meet Ilhan Omar, who could be the first Somali-American Muslim woman elected to public office". Fusion. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
- ^ Coolican, J. Patrick (August 9, 2016). "Next Minnesota Legislature won't have Reps. Phyllis Kahn or Tom Hackbarth". Star Tribune. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
- Durian, Tom (August 10, 2016). "Somali Community Reacts to Ilhan Omar's Historic Win". KSTP-TV. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
- ^ Holpuch, Amanda (February 29, 2016). "'This is my country': Muslim candidate aims to break boundaries in Minnesota". The Guardian. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
- Ilhan Omar wins District 60B Primary for State Representative, campaign press release, accessed 28 August 2016.
- Issues Overview, campaign website, accessed 28 August 2016.
- Police reform, campaign website, accessed 28 August 2016.
- ^ Faircloth, Ryan (24 August 2016). "Debate spotlights veteran, newcomers". Minnesota Daily. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
- Liz Sawyer, GOP state House candidate to suspend campaign against Ilhan Omar, 27 Aug. 20167, Minneapolis Star Tribune. Accessed 28 August 2016.
- ^ "Ilhan's Story". Ilhan Omar for State Representative. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
- Nidhi Prakash, Meet Ilhan Omar, who will probably be the first Somali-American Muslim woman elected to public office, 10 August 2016, Fusion. Accessed 28 August 2016.
- ^ Mugo, Kari (October 23, 2015). "African diaspora shines at the African Awards Gala". Retrieved August 18, 2016.
- Patrick Coolican, J. (August 17, 2015). "Ilhan Omar offers answers to questions about her marital history". Retrieved August 20, 2016.