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Ilhan Omar

What is ilhan omar?

· James MacDonald

Key facts

Full name Ilhan Abdullahi Omar[2]
Date of birth October 4, 1982[1]
Birth place Mogadishu, Somalia[1]
Office U.S. Representative for Minnesota’s 5th congressional district[1]
Start of House service January 2019[1]
Party Democratic Party[2]

Ilhan Omar is a U.S. politician who has represented Minnesota’s 5th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2019 [1]. She is the first Somali American in Congress and one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress [2].

Context

Ilhan Omar was born in Mogadishu, Somalia, and became a U.S. citizen in 2000 [3]. She served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2017 to 2019 before joining the U.S. House in January 2019 [2] [1]. Her election marked several firsts, including being the first Somali American in Congress and one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress [2] [1]. She is a member of the Democratic Party [2].

Documented claims

  • Ilhan Omar is the first Somali American in the U.S. Congress [2].
  • She is one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress [1].
  • She is the first woman of color to represent Minnesota in Congress [1].
  • She served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2017 to 2019 [2].
  • She became a U.S. citizen in 2000 [3].

Questions and answers

Is Ilhan Omar a U.S. citizen?

Yes, she became a U.S. citizen in 2000 [3].

What has Ilhan Omar done?

She has represented Minnesota’s 5th congressional district since 2019 and previously served in the Minnesota House from 2017 to 2019 [1] [2].

Was Ilhan Omar sworn in on the Quran?

The sources do not specify how she was sworn in.

Sources

  1. Omar, Ilhan - Minnesota Legislative Reference Library — lrl.mn.gov (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  2. About | Representative Ilhan Omar - House.gov — omar.house.gov (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  3. OMAR, Ilhan — bioguide.congress.gov (retrieved August 3, 2026)

Sources last checked August 3, 2026. · More in People