This freshman U.S. representative is targeting the status quo in Washington, but her fast words risk alienating her base. lhan Omar caught the politics bug early. At age 14, just months after moving to Minnesota from her native Somalia, she’d already learned English and began accompanying her grandfather to caucuses as his translator. Omar, a refugee, had grown up hearing about the importance of democracy, and she quickly embraced the American ideals. She gained U.S. citizenship by age 17 and last November became the first woman of color to serve as a U.S. representative from Minnesota, one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress, alongside Rep. Rashida Tlaib. That same jump-in-head-first attitude that’s helped the 38-year-old political rookie break barriers has also gotten her entangled in heated political fights, most recently stemming from allegations of anti-Semitism based on fiery Twitter exchanges. | 