Omar announces father's death from COVID-19 complications

Defund police march in northeast Minneapolis
U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, pictured here speaking to a crowd calling on city leaders to defund the Minneapolis Police Department, announced Monday that her father died due to complications from COVID-19.
Stephen Maturen | Getty Images file

Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar on Monday announced the death of her father due to complications from COVID-19.

In a statement, Omar said Nur Omar Mohamed died Monday. She gave no additional information.

"No words can describe what he meant to me and all who knew him," Omar said in her statement. “My family and I ask for your respect and privacy during this time."

In an interview with MPR News, Omar said she was spoiled with the affection of her father, who, along with her grandfather, raised her to feel she was special and to voice her opinions in a mostly patriarchal society.

Since her election in 2018, Omar has been at the forefront of promoting progressive policies, including the defunding and reconstruction of the Minneapolis Police Department.

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