In the final days of a bruising primary campaign, Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., is fighting for her political life.
The two-term Democrat, “Squad” member and outspoken critic of Israel’s war in Gaza seeks to fend off a challenge from St. Louis County prosecuting attorney Wesley Bell amid a flood of outside spending against her by pro-Israel groups and polls that show her trailing. It’s her biggest political test since she toppled veteran Democratic Rep. William Lacy Clay in a 2020 primary that sent shock waves through Missouri’s Democratic establishment.
The victor in the Aug. 6 Democratic primary to represent Missouri’s 1st District is all but guaranteed a seat in Congress. The deep-blue House seat encompasses St. Louis and Ferguson, where President Joe Biden in 2020 beat former President Donald Trump by 58 points, according to Inside Elections, which rates the November race as “Solid Democratic.”
