United States Representative Cori Bush, a fierce critic of Israel’s war in Gaza, has lost her Democratic congressional primary, in a race that saw a massive influx of money from pro-Israel groups to defeat a member of Congress’s left-wing “Squad”. Bush, a Congresswoman from Missouri, lost Tuesday’s primary to St Louis prosecutor Wesley Bell, who won about 51.2 percent of the vote to her 45.6 percent.
“Bush, a member of the House “squad” of progressive lawmakers like Bowman, was already earmarked for a tough primary in Missouri’s 1st Congressional District – which ended up being the second-most expensive primary of the cycle, behind only Bowman’s race in New York. Her fierce advocacy for a ceasefire in Gaza added fuel to opponents’ fire.
And in similar fashion to Bowman, Bush – despite the backing of progressive groups, local leaders and top congressional Democrats – was unable to fend off Bell, who, like Bush, rose to prominence during the protests in Ferguson, Missouri, a decade ago following the police killing of unarmed Black teenager Michael Brown. With his victory Tuesday, Bell will be heavily favored in the general election for the solid blue St. Louis-area seat. His win also marks the second time in three cycles that a challenger has unseated the incumbent in the 1st District Democratic primary – Bush defeated Rep. William Lacy Clay in the 2020 contest.
Bell first entered elective politics in 2015, when he won a seat on the Ferguson City Council. Three years later, he was the first Black St. Louis County prosecutor, unseating longtime incumbent Robert McCulloch. What we had, that he did not have, was the power of people,” Bell told supporters that night in 2018.
But his decision not to bring charges against the officer who shot Brown frustrated some in the community, including Brown’s father, who cut an ad for Bush in the closing days of the race in which he says: “I feel like (Bell) lied to us.”
In the primary, Bush sought to cast Bell as a vehicle for corporate donors far removed from the community that elected him – and that he is now likely to represent in Congress next year.
“By supporting our grassroots campaign,” Bush said in a recent fundraising email, “you’re standing up against a grifter politician and the influence of big money in politics and demanding real representation for the people of MO-01.”
But her defeat will be blow to House progressives, who rallied around Bowman earlier this year, only to see him lose by more than 15 points to a more moderate opponent in the Democratic primary. Both Bush and Bowman came under criticism from their opponents for lodging protest votes against President Joe Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure bill – which was not as climate-friendly as they had hoped – on its way to passage in 2021. (Only six Democrats, in all, joined most Republicans in opposition.)
“She sold out our president, and she sold out the city of St. Louis,” a person says in an ad by the United Democracy Project, the super PAC of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. The group spent about $9 million on ads attacking Bush or boosting Bell.
Bush’s infrastructure vote and her early, strident advocacy for a halt to the fighting in Gaza were her main vulnerabilities, though her rivals also argued she focused too much on national politics and not enough on her district.
An ad by the Mainstream Democrats PAC also attacked her for being the subject of a federal investigation over alleged misuse of campaign funds for security services. Bush has denied any wrongdoing and maintains that she complied with House rules.
Bell had no shortage of local endorsers, but, in addition the United Democracy Project’s big outlay, big spenders on his behalf included the Democratic Majority for Israel, the pro-crypto Fair shake PAC and billionaire Reid Hoffman’s Mainstream Democrats.
Bush is the fourth House member to lose a primary this year. In March, Rep. Jerry Carl lost an all-incumbent Republican primary in Alabama to Rep. Barry Moore after both ran for the same seat following redistricting. Bowman lost his primary in June, and last week, Virginia Rep. Bob Good, the chair of the hard-line House Freedom Caucus, conceded his Republican primary after a recount upheld his June defeat.
In her concession statement, Bush expressed gratitude to her supporters and affirmed her commitment to her core values. She indicated her intention to continue advocating for social justice and reform in other capacities.
Political analysts will be closely watching the implications of this upset, not only for the future of Bush but also for the broader progressive movement within the Democratic Party. The primary results could influence upcoming elections and potentially reshape the strategy and focus of progressive campaigns nationwide.
As the dust settles, both her supporters and detractors will be reflecting on the impact of this significant electoral shift and what it means for the future of American politics.
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