With all but a few precincts reporting, Omar led Samuels by fewer than 3,000 votes out of more than 110,000 cast in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District.

It was the narrowest win yet by an incumbent member of the Squad, the name adopted by six left-wing Democrats who defeated more moderate opponents in 2018 and 2020. The margin was also a surprise to supporters of Omar, who had prevailed in the face of millions of dollars in spending against her two years ago.

Omar’s close call came after her critics in the party mobilized against her, arguing that Samuels, who had campaigned against a 2021 ballot measure that would have disbanded and replaced the Minneapolis Police Department, would better represent the heavily Democratic district. That ballot measure sprung out of the police reform movement that grew after the May 2020 murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin — a movement that has been blamed by some Democrats for alienating suburban voters.

“We need partners across levels of government who prioritize teamwork, collaboration, and a seriousness of approach to match the seriousness of the issues we face,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement last week, announcing his support for Samuels.