Minnesota's 5th congressional district

Minnesota's 5th congressional district is a geographically small urban and suburban congressional district in Minnesota. It covers eastern Hennepin County, including the entire city of Minneapolis, along with parts of Anoka and Ramsey counties. Besides Minneapolis, major cities in the district include Brooklyn Center, St. Louis Park, Richfield, Crystal, Robbinsdale, Golden Valley, New Hope, Fridley, and a small portion of Edina.

Representative

Ilhan Omar
DFL–Minneapolis

Area124^[1] mi² (320 km²)

Distribution

• 100% urban^[2]
• 0% rural

Population (2024)705,006^[3]

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Minnesota's 5th congressional district
Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023
Representative	Ilhan Omar DFL–Minneapolis
Area	124[1] mi2 (320 km2)
Distribution	100% urban[2] 0% rural
Population (2024)	705,006[3]
Median household income	$80,274[4]
Ethnicity	59.9% White 17.1% Black 10.1% Hispanic 6.1% Asian 5.2% Two or more races 1.0% Native American 0.5% other
Cook PVI	D+32[5]

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External image
This govtrack.us map is a useful representation of the 5th CD's borders, based on Google Maps.

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It was created in 1883, and was nicknamed the "Bloody Fifth" on account of its first election.^[6] The contest between Knute Nelson and Charles F. Kindred involved graft, intimidation, and election fraud at every turn. The Republican convention on July 12 in Detroit Lakes was compared to the historic Battle of the Boyne in Ireland. One hundred and fifty delegates fought over eighty seats. After a scuffle in the main conference center, the Kindred and Nelson campaigns nominated each of their candidates.^[7][8]

The district is strongly Democratic, with a Cook Partisan Voting Index (CPVI) of D+32 — by far the most Democratic district in the state.^[5] The 5th is also the most Democratic district in the Upper Midwest. The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) has held the seat without interruption since 1963, and the Republicans have not tallied more than 40 percent of the vote in almost half a century. The 5th district is one of the most diverse in Minnesota; 16% of the district's residents are immigrants, the highest of any district in Minnesota, with the largest countries of origin being Somalia, Ethiopia, Mexico, India, Laos, Ecuador, and Liberia.^[9] The district also has the largest population of Somali Americans in the country, with Somalis making up 3% of the district's population.^[10]

The district is represented by Ilhan Omar, who is the first Somali–American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the first woman of color to represent Minnesota in that chamber. Omar, also an American Muslim, succeeded Keith Ellison, the first American Muslim to serve in Congress, after he was elected Minnesota Attorney General.^[11][12]