Five candidates are running in the Democratic primary for Minnesota's 5th Congressional District on August 11. Incumbent Ilhan Omar (D), Julie Le (D), and Latonya Reeves (D) lead in media attention.

Major race forecasters have rated the general election Solid/Safe Democratic. According to the Cook Political Report, "Progressive Rep. Ilhan Omar remains a top target of the pro-Israel lobby. But after a close call in 2022, when former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels came just two points away from beating her in the primary, she put together a stronger campaign operation and won her 2024 rematch against Samuels by double digits."

Since her election in 2018, Omar has been a member of a progressive group of lawmakers commonly referred to as the Squad. According to the New York Times, Le, a former federal prosecutor, said she would be a more moderate lawmaker than Omar. Le's campaign website calls for comprehensive immigration reform, while Omar has called for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). On ICE, Reeves' campaign website said, "We must work to hold federal agents accountable, and trim their budget back to previous levels."

Upon her election in 2018, Omar became the first Somali-American member of Congress. In 2024, she won the Democratic primary with 56.2% of the vote and the general election with 74.4% of the vote. Before she was elected to Congress, Omar represented District 60B in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2017 to 2019. Her previous work experience included working as a teacher, as a nonprofit executive, and as a staffer for the Minnesota Department of Education and the Minneapolis City Council. Omar's campaign website said, "Ilhan has secured major victories for Minnesotans — including providing nearly 30 million free school meals throughout the pandemic, protecting our Liberian-American community from deportation, bringing home over $550,000 to her constituents in the form of casework, and securing critical local government funding during the pandemic." Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), Attorney General Keith Ellison (D), and both of Minnesota's U.S. senators endorsed Omar.

Le is an attorney and former federal prosecutor who was an Assistant Chief Counsel at Homeland Security and a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney during Operation Metro Surge, the federal immigration enforcement effort that took place in Minnesota between December 2025 and February 2026. In February 2026, Le received national media attention when she told a judge, "The system sucks. This job sucks. I wish you could hold me in contempt so that I could get 24 hours of sleep,” during an immigration hearing in which she was representing the Justice Department. In her response to Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection Survey, Le said, "I've seen the shortcomings of our immigration system from the inside. I've stood in courtrooms and navigated the bureaucratic red tape that hinders dedicated officers and leaves families in uncertainty. ... We need a leader who not only understands the law but knows how to reform it so it works for everyone." As of June 2026, Le's campaign website did not include a list of endorsements.

Reeves is a probation officer and the union president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 5 Local 552 Probation and Parole Bargaining Unit. She is also president of the Minnesota Corrections Association and a member of the Democratic National Committee. In her response to Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, Reeves said, "I am stepping forward to serve our community with the leadership, accountability, and integrity we deserve. Whether it's access to quality education, affordable healthcare, economic opportunities, or public safety, the community deserves a representative who listens, acts, and delivers real results to protect the Democratic platform—not personal agendas that do not serve our community." Reeves campaign website included a list of endorsements from local labor leaders, activists, and business owners.

Abena McKenzie (D) and Nate Schluter (D) are also running.