Ilhan Omar
DemocratU.S. Representative, MN-5| Age | 44 (b. 1981-10-04) |
| Gender | Female |
| In office since | 2019-01-03 (~7 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | Somali (Black African) |
| Religion | Islam (Sunni Muslim) |
| Education | Graduated Thomas Edison High School (Minneapolis) in 2001; B.A. in political science and international studies from North Dakota State University, 2011; policy fellow at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey School of Public Affairs |
| Prior occupation | Community nutrition educator (University of Minnesota Extension); child nutrition outreach coordinator (Minnesota Dept. of Education); political campaign manager and senior policy aide to Minneapolis City Council member Andrew Johnson; director of policy initiatives at Women Organizing Women Network |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | Mogadishu, Somalia (foreign-born) |
| Languages | English, Somali |
| Marital status | Married — Tim Mynett |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Notable relatives | Daughter Isra Hirsi is an environmental activist and co-founder of the U.S. Youth Climate Strike |
Pending research: openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 2016 |
| Previous offices | Minnesota House of Representatives, District 60B (2017-2019) |
| Committees | Committee on Education and the Workforce · Committee on the Budget |
| Caucuses | Congressional Progressive Caucus (deputy chair) · Congressional Black Caucus · Black Maternal Health Caucus · Congressional Equality Caucus · Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment |
| Leadership | Deputy Chair, Congressional Progressive Caucus |
| Ideology | Member of 'the Squad'; ranked among the most progressive/left-leaning members of the House by various analyses (Voteview NOMINATE initially placed her among the most liberal first-term Democrats) |
| Signature legislation | Co-sponsored articles of impeachment against President Trump (Jan. 2021) · No Shame at School Act (2019, with Sen. Tina Smith) |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed $18,004–$95,000 (2024) · estimate
| eStCru LLC (winery, co-owned by husband Tim Mynett) | business_owned · $1,000,000–$5,000,000 · 2024 |
| Rose Lake Capital LLC (venture capital firm linked to husband) | private_equity · $5,000,000–$25,000,000 · 2024 |
Top donors: University of California ($74,478 (career)) · Apple Inc. (employees) ($8,500 (2020 cycle)) · Google/Alphabet (employees) ($7,150 (2020 cycle))
Top industries: Health Professionals · Education · Retired
Scandals & crimes ledger
resolved — Minnesota Campaign Finance Board order to reimburse misspent campaign funds and pay civil penalty
Following complaints filed in 2018 by Republican state Rep. Steve Drazkowski, the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board ruled on June 6, 2019 that Ilhan Omar's state campaign committee improperly used campaign funds. Violations included paying for out-of-state travel not reasonably related to her office (e.g., a Washington, D.C. conference appearance and a Chicago trip to accept an award) and a $1,500 payment routed through her attorney to an accounting firm to obtain her personal tax returns. The Board issued a formal order requiring Omar to reimburse her committee $3,469.23 and to pay a $500 civil fine. Omar said she was glad the matter was resolved and complied with the order.
resolved — Minnesota Campaign Finance Board — Personal Use of Campaign Funds (State Rep Era)
The Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board found that, while serving as a state representative, Omar improperly used campaign funds for personal purposes in 2016 and 2017. Violations included travel expenses for out-of-state personal trips (to Boston, Washington D.C., Chicago, and Florida) and a $1,500 payment to an accounting firm for corrections to her personal tax returns. The board ordered her to reimburse her campaign committee $3,469.23 and pay a $500 civil penalty for accepting an honorarium-related trip to Florida. The violations predated her congressional service.