As she runs for a third term in the St. Louis- and St. Louis County-based 1st Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Cori Bush is trying to withstand a well-funded and well-organized challenge from St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell.
Some view the Democratic primary race among Bush, Bell and former state Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal as a referendum on whether Bush’s criticism of Israel can lead to electoral consequences. But supporters of all the candidates say there’s something greater at stake: the direction of the district and the impact on the St. Louis area’s politics.
For Bush supporters, a win would be a validation of a political philosophy that mixes activism with policymaking and could show that straying from the Democratic crowd in Congress on certain key domestic and foreign policy issues is a sign of independence and strength.
Bell backers say if he wins it could usher in a policymaking posture that seeks to deliver results by collaborating with political forces that may not always embrace progressive policies. It may also signal a blow to a progressive power structure that’s become more influential in the St. Louis area since Michael Brown’s death in 2014.
Her biggest challenge yet
At St. Ferdinand Park in Florissant a few weekends ago, Bush was standing with a group of supporters ready to knock on doors in north St. Louis County.
Bush is the daughter of Errol Bush, a longtime elected official in Northwoods. Bush noted how she didn’t understand why her dad continued to stay involved in politics when it took up so much of his time and evoked intense criticism.
“Now I get it,” Bush said. “It’s the mission. It’s your purpose. And so regardless of how much it hurts, you’ve got to do what you’ve been called to do.”
Bush’s rise from a longshot candidate who ended the Clay family political dynasty is well known. She’s also gained national attention as part of a group of lawmakers known as "the Squad" that sometimes diverges from her Democratic colleagues on high-profile issues.
“She knows that when she looks at herself in the mirror, when she thinks about who she represents, she can stand proud with her chin up and say: ‘I am doing right by St. Louis. I am doing right by my family. I'm doing right by my community,’” said Illinois U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez, who came to St. Louis in July to campaign for Bush.
Since being elected to Congress in 2021, Bush has spent much of her time pushing for stronger environmental policies and was able to get President Joe Biden to sign onto a proposal aimed at mapping out where to send environmental-related federal funds. She’s also sponsored legislation that, among other things, would help local governments pay for personnel responding to substance abuse and mental health-related emergencies.
Bush has regularly split with some fellow Democrats during her two terms in office. She voted against a major federal Infrastructure Bill in 2021 because she wanted passage of a broader set of domestic priorities. And she opposed a plan to raise the debt ceiling in 2023 — contending that it put restrictions on major social service programs.
Bush said her votes against Biden’s agenda hasn’t led to significant consequences for her district. If anything, she said, it’s an example of her vocal advocacy for her constituents.
“You disagree with your children on the daily, and you disagree with your spouse,” Bush said. “The president doesn't want someone to be them. That's why we have a Congress so that we can speak directly about our issues in our communities.”
Bush’s electoral stability seemed to be sturdy after she easily beat state Sen. Steve Roberts in 2022.
But things changed dramatically after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Bush issued a statement condemning the attack but called for an end to “Israeli military occupation and apartheid.” And in a post on X, Bush wrote that she won't be silent about what she labels “Israel’s ethnic cleansing campaign.”
Those comments sparked outrage among some in St. Louis’ Jewish community. And while Bell said there were other reasons he decided to abandon his U.S. Senate bid to run against Bush, he cited her statements about Israel as a reason for running.
Bush, the sponsor of a resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, said her advocacy for a halt to the fighting is increasingly popular. Numerous Democratic elected officials have also called for a cease-fire, including Vice President Kamala Harris, the party's presumptive presidential nominee.
“I condemned Hamas over and over again. But what I did not do was sign onto legislation that were Republican bills meant to fuel anti-Palestinian hate,” Bush said. “What we were saying was, we can condemn Hamas. And also care about the lives of the Palestinian people and not want to see them harmed as well.”
Since Bell announced his candidacy, groups like the United Democracy Project, the political arm of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, has spent millions of dollars on ads praising Bell and attacking Bush. Some of Bush’s supporters have cited the expensive ad campaign as a prime reason to back her reelection.
“I am disgusted about the money in this race,” said St. Louis resident Cynthia Marich. “There's so much money being poured into this race against the congresswoman.”
Bell says challenge of Bush is about effectiveness
On a recent morning at the Normandy Nursing Center, Bell stepped next to a contraption full of bingo balls. His campaign is sponsoring rounds of the venerable game for residents of the facility in a part of the 1st District that’s crucial to his campaign.
Running strong in heavily African American areas like Normandy is critical for Bell, who likely can’t win unless he can substantially lower Bush’s share of the Black vote that she secured in 2022.
Bell is confident he can meet the challenge.
“I think first and foremost, folks who support me know what they're going to get,” Bell said. “They know I'm going to show up. They know I'm going to hear their concerns. We're going to talk about my positions and listen to my constituents.”
Bell’s decision to run against Bush marks a collision course between two political success stories that arose out of the protest movement over Michael Brown’s death. After coming up short in 2014 in a primary against St. Louis County Councilwoman Hazel Erby, Bell won a seat on the Ferguson City Council — a much higher-profile race than usual because of worldwide publicity over Brown’s death.
Two years later, Bell pieced together a diverse coalition to oust St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch, who declined to charge Ferguson Police officer Darren Wilson for shooting and killing Brown. Bell cited his ability to overhaul the county prosecutor’s office — and help create law enforcement agencies like the North County Police Collective — to change policy in a historically dysfunctional region.
“When we talk about the issues that matter and understand how that's done, that means you got to get folks to work together. That's what I have a track record of doing,” Bell said. “I think that's a clear distinction between myself and the congresswoman.”
Ferguson Mayor Ella Jones said one of Bell’s strengths is his visibility throughout St. Louis County, including in predominantly Black cities that haven’t had the best relationship with law enforcement agencies.
She said she’s confident that Bell can aggressively get funds for the region, such as building up West Florissant Avenue — the area of Ferguson where scores of protests occurred after Brown’s death.
“He does have a record here,” Jones said. “Every time there's something going on in Ferguson, you see Wesley. If something is going on in Dellwood, you see Wesley. He's visible. He's just here for the people.”
Bush’s campaign recently highlighted an episode that stoked distrust among some of his previous supporters. In 2020, Bell announced he wouldn’t pursue charges against Wilson. Brown’s father, Michael Brown Sr., lambasted Bell over that move in a current Bush campaign ad.
“He used my family for power,” Brown says in the ad. “Now, he’s trying to sell out St. Louis.”
Last year when Bell was running for the Senate, he explained to a crowd in western St. Louis County that not pursuing charges against Wilson was difficult, but added that his office couldn’t prosecute the case with the evidence it had.
“Now I could have just sat back and just not said anything,” Bell said. “But I don't think that would have been good for the region. We explained exactly why we did what we did and why we couldn't prosecute. And it was a tough pill, obviously, for the family, and other supporters. But we didn’t see protests, you didn’t see any of that.”
“So if there's any controversial cases, we're going to be transparent about it,” Bell said. “I think that's the right way to do things.”
The fight for Black voters
Bush’s campaign is attracting national attention, especially after New York Congressman Jamaal Bowman lost reelection. Like Bush, Bowman sharply criticized Israel’s response to the Oct. 7 attacks. And groups like the United Democracy Project spent millions to boost his Democratic primary opponent.
But Missouri’s 1st Congressional District couldn’t be more different from Bowman’s district. According to the most recent Census figures, 46% of the district’s population is African American, while Bowman’s district is much whiter and has a larger Jewish population. The St. Louis area’s Jewish community is somewhat divided between the 1st and 2nd Congressional Districts.
Groups like the United Democracy Project’s ads don't mention Israel but focus on Bush’s votes against some of Biden’s agenda. National polling shows that Black voters don’t make decisions on candidates based on how they feel about the country’s military invasion of Gaza. And neither Bell nor Bush believe Israel is top of mind among the 1st Congressional District’s Black voters.
Still, Bush contends the strategy from pro-Israel groups helping Bell is deceptive.
“So the thing is this, why are they not talking about that? Is it because this is the president's position to have a cease-fire now?” Bush said. “And so I'm really pissed off that there is this deceit happening, because if you believe that's why you needed to run, then why aren't you running on that?”
Bell said that even though Black 1st Congressional District voters aren’t showing up to the polls “with what's going on in the Middle East as their main reason for voting, it doesn't mean it's not important.”
“And so what I've been laser focused on is showing up to events and showing up for constituents to hear their concerns, because we got to be able to do two things, three things, four things at once,” Bell said. “And that means we do have to be concerned with our national security issues. But we also have to be concerned about what's going on right here in this district.”
Bush’s campaign and her allied political action committees are questioning Bell’s commitment to Democratic values, pointing out that he campaigned for a Republican challenger to Congressman Lacy Clay in 2006. Bell has said he was trying to help his friend, future Ferguson City Councilman Mark Byrne.
Bush also said that she, not Bell, would be a stronger advocate for abortion rights — an issue that Bush focused on during her time in Congress.
The contest has divided key Democratic constituencies. For instance, the region’s trade unions endorsed Bell, while a number of service unions are endorsing Bush. And while Bell received support from municipal leaders like Ferguson’s Jones, others like Vinita Park Mayor James McGhee are backing Bush. St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones has also endorsed Bush.
Bell received support from a number of local Jewish leaders, as well as groups like Indivisible St. Louis, which previously supported Bush. And some former Bush supporters, such as St. Louis resident Anne Taussig, said Bell would be a more effective representative for the district.
“I've never seen someone work so hard as Wesley has worked in this campaign,” she said. “He doesn't take days off. He'll show up for a group of two people or 20 people. He listens to his constituents. He's a coalition builder. And his goal is working to bring resources to the region to move it forward.”
Chappelle-Nadal offers alternative
While Bell and Bush’s campaigns raised substantially more money, Chappelle-Nadal said she’s hoping to make an impact.
Chappelle-Nadal served for 16 years in the Missouri General Assembly, where she was often at the center of policy discussions over radioactive waste exposure and education policy. She also emerged as a prominent voice to overhaul criminal justice statutes after Brown’s death.
She said her legislative experience will make her a more effective advocate than Bush or Bell for restitution for people who became sick because of radioactive waste exposure — and for coming up with creative ways that the federal government can help clamp down on crime.
Chapelle-Nadal is expected to garner votes in the University City area, which she has represented in some form during her political career.
“I started really late in February of this year. And usually you do not start a campaign so late, but I thought it was incumbent that I put my name in the ring for this seat,” she said. “And I recognize I don't have the same bank as my opponents. What I do know is that people are relying on me to tell everyone what is important in this race.”
The election is Tuesday. Whoever wins the primary will be heavily favored in November, since the district is the most Democratic-leaning in the state.
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