Representative Wesley Bell has defeated former Representative Cori Bush in the Democratic primary for Missouri's 1st Congressional District, securing his position as favourite for a second term in November. The St. Louis-area result mirrors Bell's victory over Bush two years ago, when he first unseated her with substantial outside spending.
Bell's campaign and allied groups outspent Bush by a ratio of 27 to 1, according to ad-tracking data. The United Democracy Project, a super PAC linked to AIPAC, poured millions into the contest, largely through negative advertising against Bush, while New Democrat Majority invested an additional $1 million. Bell criticised Bush's focus on Middle East policy, arguing it neglected local priorities.
Bush, first elected in 2020 and a member of the progressive "Squad", accused Bell of filling his coffers with outside money. The two clashed over Israel policy, with Bell recently voting against cutting $3.3 billion in aid and Bush supporting restrictions on military assistance during human rights violations.