On a Side Note: Here in Minnesota, Ilhan Omar Retained Her House Seat

[MineralMan]

in a landslide.

Which all goes to show that who wins depends on the makeup of that Congressional district.

Collin Peterson, on the other hand, lost his bid for reelection in Minnesota and his district flipped to a Republican.

Same message. There is no national mandate for Congressional races. Each must be won in its own district.

[Dem4Life1102]

1. Great point!

Just curious were Omar and Peterson's seats held by Democrats or Republicans prior to 18?

[Mister Ed]

3. Omar's 5th CD is solidly, reliably blue.

Whover gets the Democratic party's nomination will always win that district.

Peterson's 7th district is thoroughly conservative. It was quite a feat for a Dem to hold that seat for decades, the way Peterson did.

[bullimiami]

2. hows the gerrymandering in MN?

[MineralMan]

5. It's not terrible here. We have a split legislature,

so our districts usually end up being drawn by the courts, if the legislature can't agree. The courts do it pretty much mathematically.

[bullimiami]

7. and you have a split house. 4:4. so maybe it really came down to the individual candidates.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. There was little chance she'd lose it. Her opponent, Lacy Johnson,

was a sort of stealth Republican whose advertising didn't mention Trump at all and the fact that he was GOP barely at all. I think he was trying to be an alternative to Omar who wouldn't offend Democrats who might have been put off by some of Omar's less sensible comments. He's a middle-aged black guy from North Minneapolis; in his TV ads he tried to come across as a genial, sensible, non-Trumpy guy who just wants to help people get jobs, blah, blah, blah. But it's CD-5 and we weren't buying his shtick.

[MineralMan]

6. Yes. That district is solidly a progressive one.

and Peterson's is solidly not. He has been lucky to hold his seat for as long as he did.

Minnesota is the classic urban vs. rural state.

[Hortensis]

9. :)

[dsc]

8. It was miraculous that he held that seat as long as he did

I am shocked at how badly he lost but not the fact that he lost. Unless the Democrats decide to partisan gerrymander that seat will never be Democratic again.