Ilhan Omar wins fifth term in Congress by a landslide in Minnesota despite federal criminal investigation into family immigration records

Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar secured a fifth term in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday, defeating Republican challenger John Nagel by a wide margin in Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District despite an ongoing federal criminal investigation involving her family’s immigration history.

The Associated Press called the November 3 race for Omar, who has represented the Minneapolis-based district since 2019. Her victory came after federal investigators searched her Washington, D.C., residence in October as part of an inquiry into immigration documents connected to her family.

The election was widely expected to favor Omar in one of the country’s most reliably Democratic congressional districts. The progressive lawmaker, who has frequently clashed with President Donald Trump over immigration policy and other political issues, faced a Republican challenger who campaigned on stronger fraud prevention, border security and government accountability.

The federal investigation centers on questions about immigration information submitted by Omar or members of her family decades ago, when they entered the United States as refugees from Somalia. According to Reuters, investigators have examined whether false statements were made during immigration or naturalization proceedings.

Federal agents searched Omar’s Washington home on October 12, seizing electronic devices and examining records as part of the criminal investigation. The inquiry has not established that Omar committed a crime, and she has denied wrongdoing.

Omar has described the investigation as an abuse of federal law enforcement powers and accused the Trump administration of using government agencies to intimidate political opponents.

Her victory reinforces the Democratic Party’s hold on a district covering Minneapolis and nearby communities, where Republican candidates have historically struggled to compete.

The result also ensures that Omar, a prominent member of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party and an outspoken critic of Trump’s policies, will remain in Congress as Democrats prepare to assume control of the House in January 2027.

The criminal investigation remains a separate legal matter from the election result, and Omar’s reelection does not determine the outcome of the federal inquiry.