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 — 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.