Rep. Cori Bush loses Missouri Democratic primary race to Wesley Bell in another blow for far-left ‘Squad’

Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) was dealt a stunning defeat in Missouri’s 1st Congressional District Democratic primary Tuesday, making her the second member of the far-left “Squad” of congressional lawmakers to lose a 2024 Democratic primary.

Bush, 48, lost her primary race to St. Louis County prosecutor Wesley Bell by a 5.3 percentage point margin. The Associated Press called the race at 11 p.m. with Bell leading Bush 51% to 45.7% after 94% of the votes counted.

The two-term congresswoman’s loss follows fellow “Squad” Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s (D-NY) June drubbing in New York’s 16th District Democratic primary, a race the fire-alarm pulling congressman lost to Westchester County Executive George Latimer by nearly 17 points. 

Bush’s race — like Bowman’s — pitted the far-left Democratic lawmaker against moderates turned off by her stance on Israel.

The Missouri Democrat was an early supporter of a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war and has been critical of the Jewish State in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack. 

Bush was one of only two House lawmakers — along with Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) — to vote against a measure in February seeking to ban the Hamas terrorists involved in last October’s attack on Israel from ever entering the US. 

Last year, Bush was one of nine House Democrats opposed to a resolution condemning Hamas for the attack that left 1,400 people dead. 

She has also accused Israel of conducting an “ethnic cleansing campaign” in Gaza, characterizing the war effort as “collective punishment against Palestinians” that Bush has argued “is a war crime.”

Bell, who had campaigned against his far-left opponent from the center, told the Associated Press that Bush’s comments about Israel were “wrong and offensive.” 

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) also took aim at Bush, shelling out almost $9 million to unseat the incumbent rep in her fight against the local prosecutor. 

“During this primary season, the pro-Israel mainstream has sent a powerful message that America stands with Israel as it battles Iranian terrorist proxies,” a statement released by AIPAC Tuesday night read. “Voters across America are rejecting anti-Israel voices in favor of candidates who understand the vital importance of the U.S.-Israel relationship.”

“The outcome in this race — as in so many others — shows that the pro-Israel position is both good policy and good politics for both parties,” the group added.  

Bush also came into the race with personal baggage. 

In January, she confirmed that the Justice Department was probing her campaign spending on security services, which employed a former security guard whom she married.

Bush’s campaign attempted to paint Bell as too conservative for Missouri’s 1st District, zeroing in on his past work for a Republican candidate in 2006. 

The incumbent was unseated despite holding a number of coveted endorsements, including from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and the editorial board of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 

“I just hope [Bell] takes the time to learn about our Palestinian and Arab and Muslim community,” Bush told her supporters Tuesday night.“I just want to put that out there to him as homework,” she quipped, going on to blame her loss on a “flood of outside Republican money.” 

Support for Bell — a relatively unknown political figure — had been surging since January. 

A January poll commissioned by the Democratic Majority for Israel advocacy group found Bell with only 29% support compared to Bush’s 45% backing.

The same pollster — Mellman Group — found Bell in the lead by 1 point in late June. 

Then, a July survey conducted by McLaughlin & Associates for the CCA Action Fund showed Bush trailing Bell by double digits, 23 points, less than a month before the election.

“This race got nasty,” Bell said at his victory party, attributing his win to “running a campaign on the issues” and focusing on a “positive message.” 

Bush’s seat in Missouri’s 1st Congressional District is one of two spots that Democrats hold in the state’s congressional delegation.

Her loss comes a week before fellow “Squad” Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) will face former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels in her Minnesota Democratic primary race. 

Bell will face one of Stan Hall, Andrew Jones or Michael Hebron in November, with the Republicans narrowly separated by single-digit margins in the GOP 1st District primary as of press time. 

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