Representative Cori Bush (D., Mo.), the progressive “Squad” member who recently stopped short of calling Hamas a terrorist organization, lost a competitive House primary bid Tuesday night against St. Louis County prosecuting attorney Wesley Bell, who positioned himself as a pro-Israel alternative during the race.
The Associated Press called Bell’s primary victory at 11 p.m. EDT. He will now vie for Bush’s place in the House come November, facing the winner of Tuesday’s GOP primary in a district that President Joe Biden won by more than 60 points in 2020.
The congresswoman has represented Missouri’s first congressional district, which covers St. Louis and the northern part of St. Louis County, since 2021.
Bush suffered a primary loss reminiscent of Representative Jamaal Bowman’s (D., N.Y.), another Squad member who faced intense criticism for his anti-Israel rhetoric since October 7. He was defeated by Westchester County executive George Latimer in June.
Backed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Bell presented a strong and well-funded challenge to the incumbent. The prosecutor’s run benefited from a $9 million ad blitz organized by the pro-Israel lobbying group’s political arm, United Democracy Project.
The AIPAC-affiliated super PAC previously spent $14.5 million on ads highlighting Bowman’s anti-Israel remarks, making the Democratic race for New York’s 16th congressional district the most expensive House primary in U.S. history.
“I know exactly what you’re going through,” Bowman told Bush on a virtual campaign call on Monday, joined by fellow Squad members. “I know what it feels like to be constantly bombarded with ads and mailers and lies and B.S. that completely distorts who you are and your record.”
Bush declined to label Hamas a terrorist group in an interview published by the New York Times this week, saying that she and other black activists were called terrorists during the 2014 racial-injustice riots in Ferguson, Mo., following the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by a police officer.
“Would they qualify to me as a terrorist organization?” she asked, referring to Hamas. “Yes. But do I know that? Absolutely not.”
“I have no communication with them,” the congresswoman told the Times. “All I know is that we were considered terrorists, we were considered Black identity extremists and all we were doing was trying to get peace. I’m not trying to compare us, but that taught me to be careful about labeling if I don’t know.”
In October 2023, Bell announced he would challenge Bush for her House seat partly due to her anti-Israel stance, and he dropped his long-shot bid to unseat Senator Josh Hawley (R., Mo.). Bell reneged on his promise to Bush last summer that he would not run against her in the primary.