QAnon Supporter Who Posted Racist Ads Wins Georgia Runoff, Squad's Ilhan Omar Holds On

Controversial businesswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene won Georgia’s primary runoff for the Republican nomination to challenge for Georgia’s 14th Congressional District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Greene is one of a growing number of Republican candidates promoting conspiracy theories by right-wing fringe groups and using racist rhetoric that echo statements by President Trump.

The president tweeted his congratulatons to Greene "on a big Congressional primary win in Georgia against a very tough and smart opponent. Marjorie is strong on everything and never gives up – a real WINNER!"

Greene’s victory came against Republican-rival and neurosurgeon, John Cowan. She was victorious with 57.2% of the vote to Cowan’s 42.8%

Both candidates painted themselves as pro-Trump candidates, but Greene was not hesitant to use racist language. She regularly posted videos online attacking Black, Hispanic, Jewish, and Muslim people, some of which echoed some of Trump’s statements during his 2016 presidential campaign. One example was referring to the problems with “gang-violence and drugs” in many Black and Hispanic communities.

She has also received criticism for being an open supporter of conspiracy theories pushed by the right-wing group QAnon. The group has gained traction within the Republican Party in recent years, with several candidates at the state and federal level promoting the group’s conspiracies while establishment Republicans have tried, somewhat, to distance themselves from the group.

“The Republican establishment was against me,” Greene said in her victory speech Tuesday. “The D.C. swamp is against me. And the lying fake news media hates my guts. It’s a badge of honor. It’s not about me winning. This is a referendum on every single one of us, on our beliefs.”

Outside of Georgia, Rep. Ilhan Omar was able to hold off Democratic challenger Antone Melton-Meaux in Minnesota’s congressional primary.

Meaux had emerged as a potential challenger for Omar’s seat, regularly attacking the Squad member for being a lightning rod of controversy within Congress. Meaux’s profile grew in the last days of the campaign as he received support and financial backing from more moderate Democrat groups and pro-Israel groups, the latter of which opposed Omar for previous statements the groups said were anti-Semitic.

Her win marked the close of a busy Tuesday that saw six states hold primaries and runoff elections ahead of the November 2020 elections.

Omar was ultimately able to beat out Meaux with 57.4% of the vote to his 39.2%.

“In Minnesota, we know that organized people will always beat organized money,” Omar said in a press release. “Tonight, our movement didn’t just win. We earned a mandate for change. Despite outside efforts to defeat us, we once again broke turnout records. Despite the attacks, our support has only grown.”

Other results from across the country included Thomas Gilmer narrowly beating Justin Anderson in the Connecticut’s Second Congressional District Republican primary, Michelle Fischbach winning the Minnesota Seventh Congressional District Republican primary, and Derrick Van Orden winning the Wisconsin Third Congressional District Republican primary.