Author: Joe Mueller (The Center Square)
The second member of the U.S. House “Squad” lost a primary election on Tuesday, when the county prosecutor defeated incumbent Rep. Cori Bush in Missouri’s 1st District Democratic primary.
Wesley Bell, who lost the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Josh Hawley, won with 52 percent of the vote, while Bush received 47 percent, with 40 percent of precincts reporting to the Missouri Secretary of State. Bell received 56 percent of the vote in St. Louis County, where he is currently the county attorney, while Bush received 55 percent of the vote in St. Louis City.
According to federal election data, Bell raised $4.7 million compared to Bush’s $2.9 million. Millions of people supported Bell through political action committees.
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“It’s right to have a positive message in the campaign,” Bell told supporters at a gathering in downtown St. Louis that was broadcast live by multiple media outlets. “Words matter. We campaigned on issues. That’s what we do.”
Bell decided to confront Bush in October after criticizing Israel and accusing the Israeli government of carrying out a “campaign of ethnic cleansing.” In June, Rep. Jamal Bowman of New York was the first member of the “squad” to lose a Democratic primary after criticizing Israel.
“Babies are dead” Bush Posted on XThe platform formerly known as Twitter. “Pregnant women are dead. Elderly people are dead. Generations of families are dead. Millions of people in Gaza are being slaughtered with no place to go. The United States must stop funding these atrocities against Palestinians.”
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee issued a statement congratulating Bell.
According to the statement, “Once again, a progressive, pro-Israel Democratic Party has defeated a candidate who represents extremists hostile to the Jewish state.”
Bell and Bush gained notoriety during the Ferguson uprising surrounding the 2014 killing of Michael Brown by police officer Darren Wilson. In Bush’s television campaign ad, Brown’s father accused Bell of failing to deliver on his promise to secure justice for his son.
In 2018, Bell became the first Black prosecutor in St. Louis County when he defeated Bob McCulloch, the prosecutor who led the Ferguson investigation and did not indict officer Darren Wilson. In 2020, Bell reviewed the case and found no charges against Wilson.
Bush defeated U.S. Rep. Lacey Clay in 2020. Clay and her father held the seat for decades.
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Bush voted against the Infrastructure and Jobs Act of 2021, one of six House Democrats who voted against it. She has spoken out strongly against the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Roe v. Wade that overturned abortion rights, and has spoken in TV campaign ads about having an abortion as a teenager after being sexually assaulted.
United States Senate: Lucas Coons, who lost to Trudy Bush Valentine in the 2022 U.S. Senate Democratic primary, won with 66% of the vote in a four-candidate race for the nomination this year. Republican incumbent Josh Hawley was unopposed in the primary.
3rd District US Representatives: In the Republican primary, former President Donald Trump’s only endorsement of the state senator, Bob Onder, won the nomination with 47% of the vote. The seat was won by retired Rep. Blaine Rutkemeyer, who supported former state senator Kurt Schaefer, who received 37% of the vote in a seven-man race.
All other incumbent Republican U.S. House members had challengers in their primaries and won their elections.
Co-published with permission from Center Square.
