Former “Squad” member Cori Bush failed in her attempt to claw her way back into Congress after Missouri Democrats once again chose Rep. Wesley Bell in the state’s 1st Congressional District primary. Bell defeated Bush on Tuesday in a bitter rematch of the 2024 race that originally sent her packing. The result leaves Bush without a clear path back to Washington after serving only two terms in the House.
The primary was held in the heavily Democratic district covering St. Louis and parts of the surrounding area. Bell, who has represented the district since January 2025, was strongly favored to retain the seat in November once he secured the Democratic nomination. Bush entered the race hoping to reverse the embarrassing defeat that ended her congressional career two years earlier.
Bush first entered Congress in 2021 after defeating longtime Democrat Rep. Lacy Clay and quickly attached herself to the party’s far-left “Squad.” Before holding office, she became nationally known for her involvement in Black Lives Matter demonstrations in Ferguson, Missouri. Her brief congressional career was marked by repeated fights with members of her own party, demands to defund the police and fierce opposition to Israel.
As CBS News reported, the Bell vs Bush rematch exposed deep divisions between establishment Democrats and the party’s burgeoning democratic socialist wing. Bell has taken a more traditional position on America’s alliance with Israel, while Bush has accused the country of committing genocide in Gaza. Those differences again became a major issue during the closing weeks of the campaign.
The two candidates confronted one another during a heated July 24th debate that covered Israel, the 2024 presidential election and the role of political action committees in Democratic primaries. Bell defended his vote against eliminating $3.3 billion in assistance to Israel, telling voters, “I am no fan of Bibi Netanyahu, but we’re still going to stand with our allies.” Bush responded that military assistance should be suspended “while human rights violations are happening.”
Bell turned to Bush’s statements about former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential campaign. He accused her of undermining Harris by comparing the administration’s actions to fascism during an election decided by narrow margins in several swing states. Bush denied that she had directly called Biden or Harris fascists and instead blamed American military funding for the war in Gaza.
The exchange grew increasingly personal when Bell raised questions about Bush’s campaign finances and her family. Bell pointed to federal charges faced by Bush’s husband involving pandemic-era relief and accused the former congresswoman of exploiting tragedies for political purposes. Bush objected and accused Bell of making defamatory claims about her family.
"*" indicates required fields
Bell also criticized Bush for paying herself a salary from her campaign while directing campaign money to her husband for security services. Such payments may be legal under federal campaign-finance rules when properly reported, but they became a recurring source of controversy during Bush’s time in office. Bush responded by claiming that she had damaging personal information about Bell but would refrain from disclosing it.
Bell’s victory ends Bush’s comeback effort and gives the incumbent a clear advantage heading into the November general election. The district’s overwhelming Democratic lean means the primary winner is heavily favored to serve in Congress next year. Bush, meanwhile, has now lost two consecutive Democratic primaries to the same opponent after just four years in Washington.