![Somali Activist Wins Minneapolis District Democratic Primary](http://townsquare.media/site/67/files/2016/08/Ilhan-Omar.jpg?w=980&q=75)
Somali Activist Wins Minneapolis District Democratic Primary
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - A Somali activist could become the first Somali-American lawmaker in the nation after unseating one of the Minnesota Legislature's longest-serving members in a Democratic primary.
Ilhan Omar defeated 22-term Rep. Phyllis Kahn in Tuesday's nominating contest in the heavily Democratic Minneapolis district.
The district spans the University of Minnesota and is home to a large population of immigrants from Somalia and other East African countries. Omar argued that the district needs a fresher face that better represents the diversity and needs of the area.
Omar is a political activist and former aide to the Minneapolis City Council.
Kahn has spent 44 years in the Legislature.
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