Voters in Missouri’s bright blue 1st Congressional District on Tuesday sharply rebuked left-wing progressives and denied Missouri Democratic Rep. Cori Bush a third term.
A “Squad” Democrat, she lost the primary to a more moderate candidate, St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell, who was backed by pro-Israel groups that spent millions of dollars to unseat President Bush, who had criticized the Jewish state.
She is the second member of the ultra-progressive group to lose a primary, following Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) who was also defeated by a moderate pro-Israel Democrat.
The House Democrat is the first member of the division to lose a primary election.
Rep. Cori Bush (Democrat, Missouri) fought a tough primary campaign this year against a pro-Israel opponent. (Getty Images)
Both men belong to a growing faction of Democrats who criticize the traditionally close ties between the United States and Israel, a rift that has become more apparent since the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks.
A few days after the attack, President Bush described Israel’s initial response as “a war crime”: “Israel’s collective punishment of the Palestinian people for Hamas’ actions.”
But Bush appeared to have learned little from Bowman’s defeat, instead courting his progressive base by holding a virtual rally on the eve of the election with Bowman and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), a leading critic of Israel.
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St. Louis County Attorney Wesley Bell, a Democrat, challenged her for the nomination in the safely blue seat. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)
Earlier this year, Bush also revealed that her husband was the subject of investigations by the Department of Justice, the Federal Election Commission and the House Ethics Committee over his work as a paid bodyguard for her.
In a statement on January 30, President Bush accused so-called “right-wing groups” of “spreading the belief that I misused campaign funds for personal security services.”
The Missouri Democrat and his supporters have tried to portray his opponent, Bell, as more to the right than the left, pointing out his past volunteer work for anti-abortion Republican candidates.
Democratic candidate slams Bowman for “divisive theater,” says foul-mouthed rally undermines party “unity”
Her race had been closely watched after the pro-Israel Democrat defeated Bush’s fellow “Squad” member, Rep. Jamaal Bowman. (Haiyun Zhang/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Bell also ran on a progressive platform, but the two men are sharply divided on the issue of Israel, with Bell calling Bush’s comments about Israel “false and offensive,” according to the Associated Press.
Bell is currently the leading candidate for the House of Representatives election in November.
