Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar has won Minnesota’s 5th District, defeating Republican challenger Dalia Al-Aqidi, a former journalist, to secure a fourth term in Congress.

As a member of the progressive group known as the “Squad,” Omar is one of the most prominent and controversial liberal lawmakers on Capitol Hill. She has frequently clashed with colleagues from both parties, particularly over the sensitive issue of relations between Israel and Palestine.

Critics of Omar’s statements about Israel’s human rights record have accused her of antisemitism. Her remarks led House Republicans to vote to remove her from the Foreign Affairs Committee.

The debate over these issues has intensified since Hamas’s attacks on Israel last year. Al-Aqidi, an Iraqi Muslim who supports Israel, made the topic central to her campaign, arguing that Omar was fostering division in the diverse 5th District and promoting hostility toward American Jews.

Following the 2020 killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, national conversations about policing intensified. In the aftermath, Omar became a prominent advocate for progressive reforms to local police departments, including proposals to reduce police funding and redirect resources to community programs.

Al-Aqidi criticized this position, accusing Omar of inconsistency by supporting police funding cuts while using campaign funds for personal security.

Democrats had limited success in the broader election landscape.

Former President Donald Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential race. Republicans also retained control of the U.S. House and gained control of the Senate.

As a result, Republicans now hold unified control of Washington.

During his victory speech early Wednesday morning at his headquarters in West Palm Beach, Florida, Trump reflected on his win and the path ahead. Trump, who has survived two assassination attempts since July, spoke for about 25 minutes.

“This is a magnificent victory for the American people that will allow us to make America great again. And in addition to having won the battleground states of North Carolina — I love these places — Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, we are now winning in Michigan, Arizona, Nevada, and Alaska, which would result in us carrying at least 315 electoral votes. But it’s much easier doing what the networks did, or whoever called it, because there was no other path. There was no other path to victory. We also have won the popular vote. That was great. That was great,” Trump said as the crowd cheered and chanted “USA! USA!”

“Many people have told me that God spared my life for a reason, and that reason was to save our country and to restore America to greatness,” Trump said. “And now we are going to fulfill that mission together.”

“Thank you. Thank you very much. Winning the popular vote was very nice, I will tell you. It’s a great feeling of love. We have a great feeling of love in this very large room, with unbelievable people standing by my side. These people have been incredible. They have made the journey with me and we are going to make you very happy. We will make you very proud of your vote,” he said.

“I hope that you’re going to be looking back someday and say, ‘That was one of the truly important moments of my life, when I voted for this group of people, beyond the president. This group of great people.’ America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate. We have taken back control of the Senate. Wow, that’s great,” Trump declared.

He continued: “The task before us will not be easy, but I will bring every ounce of energy, spirit, and fighting that I have in my soul to the job that you’ve entrusted to me.”

“We are going to fix our borders, we are going to fix everything about our country. We made history for a reason tonight, and the reason is going to be just that. We overcame obstacles that nobody thought possible, and it’s now clear that we have achieved the most incredible political — look what happened. Is this crazy?” Trump declared.

“But it’s a political victory that our country has never seen before. Nothing like this. I want to thank the American people for the extraordinary honor of being elected your 47th president, and your 45th president,” he said.

Trump continued, “And every citizen, I will fight for you, for your family and your future. Every single day I’ll be fighting for you, and with every breath in my body. I will not rest until he have delivered the strong, safe, and prosperous America that our children deserve and that you deserve. This will truly be the golden age of America. That’s what we have tonight.”

“America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate. We have taken back control of the Senate. Wow, that’s great. And the Senate races in Montana, Nevada, Texas, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania were all won by the MAGA movement, they helped so much,” Trump said.