Former Rep. Cori Bush fell short Tuesday in her attempt to unseat Rep. Wesley Bell, the man who defeated her two years ago to represent the St. Louis area in Congress. Bush’s stalled comeback bid comes despite progressive candidates rising around the country.
Rep. Bell defeats Cori Bush for second time in race colored by Israel policy, AIPAC
Rep. Wesley Bell fended off a challenge from his predecessor, former Congresswoman Cori Bush, two years after Bell first defeated Bush en route to being elected to represent Missouri’s 1st District in Congress. Bush, a nurse who rose to political prominence as part of the Ferguson, Missouri protests over the 2014 killing of Michael Brown, defeated a long-term incumbent in the 2020 Democratic primary on her way to becoming the first Black woman to represent Missouri in Congress. Bell in turn defeated Bush in 2024’s primary, setting up Tuesday’s rematch. This time, Bell had the support of many within the Democratic Party establishment, including endorsements from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) and the Congressional Black Caucus. Bell also held a huge spending advantage in the 2026 primary race, with $7.2 million of the $8.4 million spent in the race favoring Bell.
As NBC News noted, the race was largely shaped around foreign policy, particularly support for Israel, as well as pro-Israel lobbyists. During her time in Congress, Bush was one of the earliest and fiercest critics of Israel’s war in Gaza, accusing the country of ethnic cleansing against Palestinians and criticizing the Biden-Harris administration for supporting Israel during the conflict. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the most prominent pro-Israel lobbying group in the U.S., spent $8 million to help Bell unseat Bush in what was one of the most expensive primary races in U.S. history. Israel and AIPAC again dominated the 2026 race between the two candidates. Bush and her supporters accused AIPAC of buying the race for Bell and exercising undue influence over the Congressman, and a new PAL PAC, created to counter AIPAC’s influence, supported Bush, while Rep. Bell said that Bush spoke “over and over” about Israel, which was “an issue that is not impacting folks right here in St. Louis.” Bell quipped to NBC News that “while we take those issues seriously, you know, the M in Missouri doesn’t stand for Middle East. It stands for Missouri.”
St. Louis primary came as part of larger progressive vs. centrist competition for Democrats
Bush, a former member of the progressive “Squad,” received endorsements in this race by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and the Democratic Socialists of America. Her loss represents a potential setback for DSA-backed candidate and other progressives, who have been surging in Democratic primaries. Bell’s defeat of Bush contrasts with other races, such as the victory in Michigan of progressive Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, who has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, against AIPAC-backed Congresswoman Haley Stevens.
Bell, thanking supporters for his win in a long post on X, largely framed the race in terms of local issues, saying that he had fulfilled promises “whether it’s bringing federal resources home to our neighborhoods, standing with working folks when they needed someone in their corner, or helping families cut through red tape.” Bell pledged to continue this work on behalf of the people of St. Louis. Bell, who is largely favored to win the general election in the heavily Democratic district, positioned the national significance of the race as a chance to stand up against President Trump. “St. Louis is up against a president that is coming after our healthcare, our due process, and the paychecks of working families,” Bell stated. The congressman pledged that he “will keep standing up to this reckless and cruel administration every single day.”
As Democrats seek to retake Congress in November, the party has also had to navigate divisions within its own ranks over both domestic policies and international issues. Bell’s victory over Bush is the latest result in an ongoing competition between more progressive and centrist wings of the Democratic Party.