Wesley Bell defeats Cori Bush in Democratic primary for St. Louis seat in Congress

St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell defeated U.S. Rep. Cori Bush in the Democratic primary for the 1st District Congressional seat on Tuesday, capping a showdown between the highest profile political figures to emerge from the Ferguson uprising 10 years ago.

The Associated Press called the at 10 p.m. with Bell holding 51% of the vote, Bush at 46% and former state Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal at 3%.

“I am deeply honored and humbled by the trust the people of this district have placed in me,” Bell said. “This victory belongs to every volunteer, every supporter, and every voter who believes in our vision for a better future.”

Bell shocked the Missouri political establishment in 2018 by defeating a seven-term incumbent to become St. Louis County prosecutor. Yet his win Tuesday was considered a victory for the political establishment, who have long been disenchanted with Bush.

Bush lost her initial run for Congress in 2018, then rebounded two years later to defeat 10-term incumbent William Lacy Clay in the heavily Democratic district.

She easily won re-election in 2022, defeating state Sen. Steve Roberts by more than 30 percentage points in the Democratic primary. During her time in Congress, she has been a high-profile member of a group of progressive Democrats nicknamed “The Squad.”

But it was her comments following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel that drew Bell into the race and laid the groundwork for his victory. She condemned the attack but called for an end to “Israeli military occupation and apartheid.”

That earned her opposition from groups like the United Democracy Project, the political arm of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which dominated the airwaves in the district with millions of dollars worth of ads praising Bell and attacking Bush.

Bell’s election in 2018 as the first Black prosecutor in St. Louis County’s history was part of a wave of progressive wins in prosecutor races around the country seeking to address racial disparities in the criminal justice system.

Before that, Bell worked as a public defender and served as a member of the Ferguson City Council.

The 1st Congressional District includes all of the City of St. Louis and North St. Louis County, along with pieces of the central corridor such as Clayton and Webster Groves.

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