US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has secured re-election to the House of Representatives, defeating Republican challenger John Nagel in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District despite facing two ongoing federal investigations.
Omar, a Democrat who has represented the heavily Democratic district since 2019, was projected to comfortably retain her seat in Tuesday’s 2026 midterm elections.
Her victory came amid renewed scrutiny over allegations relating to her immigration records and financial disclosures, including a federal investigation into whether she or her father provided false information during her application for US citizenship.
The investigations intensified following an October 12 raid on her Washington, DC, residence by agents of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security.
According to Fox News, investigators seized Omar’s phone, passport and computer during the search and also obtained her DNA as part of the probe.
The investigation has revived longstanding allegations that Omar married Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, a British citizen, in 2009 in an alleged immigration fraud scheme. Critics have claimed that Elmi was her brother, an allegation she has repeatedly denied.
A federal investigation into the alleged marriage was first opened in 2016 under the administration of former President Barack Obama and involved the FBI and Department of Homeland Security. It was reportedly closed in 2021 under former President Joe Biden.
Omar has not been charged with any crime and has consistently rejected allegations of wrongdoing.
She became one of the first two Muslim women elected to the US House of Representatives in 2018, alongside Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib. Her re-election further extends her tenure in Congress.
