Don Samuels (born May 13, 1949) is an American politician, activist, and non-profit executive who served as a member of the Minneapolis City Council from 2003 to 2014.

[2][3] Samuels came to national attention when he placed an unexpectedly close second to incumbent Congresswoman Ilhan Omar in the 2022 DFL primary for Minnesota's 5th congressional district.

To reduce hiring bias, the ordinance mandated that whether an individual had committed a felony be considered only after the initial job selection.

[12] In 2007, Samuels drew criticism from journalist Nick Coleman and others for stating "I've said burn North High School down.

[28] In 2021, Samuels was active in the successful campaign to defeat a charter amendment that would have eliminated the Minneapolis Police Department.

[29] Samuels launched a DFL primary challenge for Minnesota's 5th congressional district against Ilhan Omar in March 2022.

[33] Samuels and Omar have differentiated themselves on public safety, governing style, support for Joe Biden, antisemitism, and the Israel-Hamas war, though both candidates have agreed on the need for a ceasefire in the latter.

[37] Samuels supports limiting restrictive zoning policies that only allow single-family homes and proposes federal grants to help create neighborhood corner stores.

[38] While on a podcast run by former Republican Party staff members, Samuels criticized Omar for not being connected enough to her constituents by saying "You're not cute enough, you don’t dress well enough, nothing about you is attractive enough to overcome that deficit.

[44][45][46] On June 17, 2024, International Union of Operating Engineers and the United Steelworkers endorsed Samuels over Omar in the 2024 Congressional race.

"[52] Samuels was the CEO of a non-profit called MicroGrants which issues small grants to low-income individuals and families.

The program was created following the 2016 shooting of Philando Castile, who was killed by a police officer after being pulled over for a broken tail light.