Rep. Ilhan Omar has a new challenger for 2020: Chris Kelley, who has spent over 20 years in the military, was disgusted by Omar’s infamous “some people did some things” description of 9/11 and believes that he is the one that can get her out of office to truly represent the people of Minnesota!
Aside from his service in the military, Kelley is also a member of law enforcement. In announcing his run against Omar, Kelley stated,
“I believe I can be a positive voice in standing up for people in our country, and for our first responders and the people every day on the frontlines.”
Take a look at news of Kelley’s run for Congress that is circulating on Twitter:
Fox News has more details on why Kelley is running for Congress:
When Rep. Ilhan Omar ignited steep controversy in March describing the September 11 attacks as “some people did something,” it was then that a longtime cop in her neighborhood decided he needed to do more than just bemoan what he perceived as a shocking trivialization of a terrorist attack that tore through the fabric of his beloved country.
Now, Chris Kelley, who has collected eleven military medals as a 27-year veteran of the U.S. Army and Army Reserves and clocked more than 36,000 hours patrolling the Minnesota streets as a 20-year veteran of the Minneapolis Police Force, has his sights set on knocking Omar from her seat representing Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District in 2020.
“September 11 was a terrible loss of life, not just for police officers and firefighters and other first responders, but 3,000 people and non-combatants died, and to be dismissive of that was an outrage. I could sit and complain or I could do something about it,” Kelley, who is campaigning as an Independent, told Fox News. “And I believe I can be a positive voice in standing up for people in our country, and for our first responders and the people every day on the frontlines.”
In his view, current representative Omar has devoted too much time to crafting her “celebrity” than on being of service to the community, which he insists he will serve honorably if elected.
“As former military, I am here to serve and not further my status. I want to do a good job for the people I represent and I don’t have a personal agenda,” noted Kelley, who deployed once during Operation Desert Storm and twice during Operation Iraqi Freedom as an intelligence analyst and also holds an master's degree in Criminal Justice Leadership from Concordia University in St. Paul. “I’m passionate about service and I just want to be able to continue that.”
The Washington Examiner also said:
Ilhan Omar could face a challenge from a decorated veteran of the U.S. military who is seeking to unseat her.
Chris Kelley lives and is a police officer in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District. He has spent nearly three decades in the U.S. Army and Army Reserves and says Omar's comments about the 9/11 attacks have offended him to his core.
“September 11 was a terrible loss of life, not just for police officers and firefighters and other first responders, but 3,000 people and non-combatants died, and to be dismissive of that was an outrage. I could sit and complain or I could do something about it,” he told Fox News. “And I believe I can be a positive voice in standing up for people in our country, and for our first responders and the people every day on the frontlines.”
The Democratic Minnesota representative famously referred to the 9/11 hijackers as "some people who did something" as she lamented Islamophobia in America and the societal burden Muslim people carry in the aftermath of the attacks.
Local news source Duluth News Tribune additionally stated:
A police officer from Northeastern Minnesota announces a run for Congress during a hot summer more than 16 months before a national election.
Sound familiar?
It's what Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Hermantown, did prior to winning election in Minnesota's 8th Congressional District in 2018 — and it's the path Hibbing native Chris Kelley will attempt as he makes an independent bid at the 5th District seat representing Minneapolis in 2020.
Touting a long service history in the Minneapolis Police Department and the Army and Army Reserves, Kelley announced his campaign this week. Kelley has yet to meet his fellow Northlander in Stauber, but the new candidate acknowledged similarities.
"We've got some very good working-class values and family is important," Kelley, 49, said. "He's a family-oriented guy and he’s had a great career."
In announcing, Kelley made a beeline to criticize 5th District incumbent Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minneapolis, describing her as abandoning the district and caught up in her own celebrity.
"There seems to be a theme to some of the current politicians who are being overly vocal: let’s attack the people who do the jobs, yet they won't do theirs," Kelley told the News Tribune on the topic of immigration reform.
The issue would appear to be a pillar of Kelley's campaign. He called the lack of immigration reform a bipartisan failure. He was appalled at criticism of Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, who Kelley believes are overwhelmed, underfunded and under-supported by Congress.
"There's not a cop or anybody in law enforcement who wants to see anybody suffer," Kelley said. "We do need secure borders. You don't have a country without a border, and allowing anybody to walk in is ridiculous."
Join the conversation!
Please share your thoughts about this article below. We value your opinions, and would love to see you add to the discussion!