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Omar wins, Senate race in Wisconsin is decided: Results of Tuesday's primary elections

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As Republicans and Democrats battle for control of Congress, primaries took place in several states on Tuesday, producing some contests that could determine the balance of power and influence debates in Washington.

Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota defeated a more moderate Democrat, former Minneapolis City Councilman Don Samuels, in the primary. Although her district is a safe bet for Democrats this fall, Omar's victory came after two other members of the progressive group known as the Squad were forced out of office due to massive opposition from pro-Israel groups.

In neighboring Wisconsin, the race for the Senate seat in the Badger State was decided on Tuesday. Senator Tammy Baldwin (Democrat of Wisconsin) won her primary and is seeking a third term. Businessman Eric Hovde won the Republican primary ahead of the general election in the fall.

Here are USA TODAY's key takeaways from Tuesday's races.

Ilhan Omar wins primary after Squad defeats

Omar's victory caps a series of primaries in which the Squad has had to contend with millions of dollars from pro-Israel groups, while the Democratic divide over Israel's actions in Gaza continues.

The small handful of progressive lawmakers suffered two bitter defeats this election cycle, when Reps. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) and Cori Bush (D-Mo.) both lost their primaries, thanks in part to millions of dollars in outside donations from the United Democracy Project, a super PAC affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Bowman and Bush were among the most vocal critics of the Israeli government in Congress, spurring pro-Israel groups to invest heavily in their campaigns.

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Omar was also a vocal critic of Israel's conduct in the Gaza war and was one of the first politicians to call for a ceasefire. However, AIPAC stayed out of Omar's campaign.

The Minnesota Democrat was in a much better position to win her primary this election cycle than she was in 2022, when Samuels first ran against Omar and narrowly lost by just under 2,500 votes. This year, Omar had a clear fundraising advantage over Samuels and also earned the support of the state Democratic Party.

Senate election campaign in Wisconsin is approaching

Hovde secured the nomination as the Republican Senate candidate in Wisconsin, triggering one of the most competitive elections for the upper chamber in the entire country.

The businessman was expected to win the nomination. He was backed by former President Donald Trump and the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and the Republican senators' campaign arm threw its support behind him shortly after he officially announced his candidacy in February.

He will face Baldwin in the general election in November. Democrats are largely on the defensive this election cycle, with several incumbent senators running in the most competitive races in the country, including in Wisconsin. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), John Tester (D-Mont.) and Jackie Rosen (D-Nev.) are also trying to keep their seats in closely contested races.

Democrats are interested in the race for the Wisconsin House of Representatives

Small business owner Rebecca Cooke will officially run against new Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.) in Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District. Cooke defeated state Rep. Katrina Shankland in the district's Democratic primary.

Republicans currently control the House of Representatives by a razor-thin majority, and Democrats need to win just a handful of seats to retake the lower chamber in 2025. The toughest House seat contests this election are in California and New York, but Democrats hope to unseat Republicans in other states, including Van Orden's home state of Wisconsin. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report currently rates Van Orden's race as “leaning Republican” as he fights for another term.

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