Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar and her main primary challenger Don Samuels will fight for their party's stamp of approval during an endorsing convention in Minneapolis on Saturday.

Whoever wins the endorsement battle will have the resources of the Minnesota DFL behind them as they head into an August primary election rematch. The rematch between Omar and Samuels is expected to be one of the most closely watched Democratic primary elections in the country.

Two years ago, Samuels came within about two percentage points of defeating the nationally known Minneapolis congresswoman after he hammered her for supporting a failed ballot amendment to replace the city's police department. That issue is much less relevant this year, but Samuels, a former Minneapolis City Council member, argues that Omar has remained a polarizing figure.

Omar has said her attention was divided in the last election and that it's squarely on Samuels this time around. An outspoken critic of Israel and advocate for a cease-fire in Gaza, Omar believes she's on the right side of an issue that many of her constituents deeply care about this year.

The winner of the August primary will almost certainly be elected in November to represent Minnesota's reliably blue Fifth Congressional District, which covers Minneapolis and nearby suburbs. Two lesser-known Democrats, Air Force veteran Tim Peterson and attorney Sarah Gad, are also in the primary race.

The congresswoman has maintained a fundraising lead over Samuels, pulling in nearly $1.7 million in the first quarter of this year to his $400,000.

Omar has never lost an endorsement battle while in Congress. But the Samuels campaign has expressed optimism that it can block her from getting it this time around. Unlike two years ago, Samuels attended local political conventions to woo delegates ahead of the endorsement showdown.