This comes after Samuels came close to unseating Omar in the 2022 election and believes that he could have won if they had competed later in the general election.

Omar, a charter member of the progressive House Democrats known as "the squad," has faced criticism in the past for making comments that were deemed to invoke antisemitic tropes. Despite this, she has won re-election twice and has recently faced renewed criticism for denouncing the Israeli government's war in Gaza.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Samuels criticized Omar, stating, "Our congresswoman has a predilection to divisiveness and conflict." He believes that his narrow primary loss in 2022 demonstrated that Omar is beatable. In that election, Omar went on to win 74% of the vote against a little-known Republican candidate.

One of the major issues in the 2022 election was the future of policing in Minneapolis, following the murder of George Floyd by a former police officer. Omar was among the progressives who criticized former President Barack Obama for his remarks on the "defund the police" movement. In contrast, Samuels took a more centrist stance and helped lead the opposition against a proposal to replace the police force with a revamped public safety agency.

Omar released a written statement highlighting her accomplishments in Congress, including her efforts to combat climate crisis, protect abortion rights, secure affordable housing for veterans, and implement mental health support for victims of gun violence. She also accused Samuels of taking significant contributions from far-right donors and political action committees.

The war in the Middle East has further divided Democrats and has become a pivotal issue in House primaries. Omar has criticized Hamas for attacking Israel but has been even more critical of Israel's military response. Her focus has been on the plight of civilians in the Gaza Strip and she has condemned the increase in violence against Muslim and Jewish targets in the United States.

It remains to be seen how significant the war in the Middle East will be as an issue in the overwhelmingly Democratic district, which includes Minneapolis, some suburbs, and a large Somali Muslim population. The district also encompasses St. Louis Park, historically a center of Jewish life in Minnesota.

Samuels believes that the war will be a major concern for voters and has criticized Omar's voting record, stating that she opposed sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine but supported sanctions against Israel. He also pointed out that Omar boycotted Israeli President Isaac Herzog's speech to Congress in July.

Omar's fellow House Democrats have praised her as a legislator who has given a voice to marginalized groups. Her advocacy for these groups has earned her admiration on Capitol Hill over the past four years.

As the primary election approaches, it will be interesting to see how support for Omar and Samuels shapes up within the district and how voters weigh the issues of the war in the Middle East, policing, and other important policy matters.