Wesley Bell defeats Cori Bush in Missouri primary rematch

Rep. Wesley Bell defeated former Rep. Cori Bush on Tuesday in a bitter Democratic primary rematch in Missouri’s St. Louis-based 1st Congressional District, ending Bush’s comeback bid and extending a fight that has exposed Democratic divisions over Israel, outside money and the party’s direction.

NBC News and CBS News projected Bell’s victory, while The Associated Press called the race shortly after polls closed. The district is heavily Democratic, making Bell the favorite to win a second term in November.

Bell, a moderate Democrat and former county prosecutor, has represented the district since 2025 after unseating Bush two years ago. Bush, a democratic socialist and former Black Lives Matter activist, was elected to the House in 2020 and became part of “the Squad,” a group of progressive lawmakers of color.

The rematch was shaped by the U.S. relationship with Israel and the role of pro-Israel spending in Democratic primaries. Bell supports U.S. aid to Israel while saying he opposes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Bush opposes military aid to Israel and has accused it of committing genocide in Gaza.

Bell and his allies dominated the advertising race. NBC News reported that Bell’s campaign and outside allies outspent Bush by 27-to-1, citing the ad-tracking firm AdImpact. United Democracy Project, the super PAC linked to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, spent $2 million to support Bell, largely through negative ads attacking Bush, according to NBC News. The Guardian reported that the super PAC poured about $3 million into helping Bell.

AIPAC also played a major role in their 2024 primary, when United Democracy Project spent $9.3 million on ads, according to AdImpact, accounting for nearly half the spending in that race.

As he voted Tuesday, Bell criticized Bush for focusing on Israel. He said she talked “over and over… about an issue that is not impacting folks right here in St. Louis.”

“And while we take those issues seriously, you know, the M in Missouri doesn’t stand for Middle East,” Bell told NBC News. “It stands for Missouri.”

Bush pushed back later Tuesday, saying Missourians “are not happy” that Bell filled his “campaign coffers” with money from outside groups. “Why are they meddling in our primaries?” she asked. “Why does he allow that?”

Bush’s campaign aired two television ads that tied Bell to AIPAC and accused him of being more interested in sending money to Israel than helping Missourians, including people affected by last year’s tornado. Bell cast himself as a fighter against President Donald Trump and argued in one ad that Bush “fights Kamala Harris, Joe Biden and other Democrats.”

The two candidates also clashed in a July 24 debate over Harris, U.S. military aid to Israel and campaign spending. CBS News reported that Bell voted earlier this month against eliminating $3.3 billion in assistance to Israel, a vote that split House Democrats.

“I am no fan of Bibi Netanyahu, but we’re still going to stand with our allies,” Bell said.

Bush said she supports cutting off military aid “while human rights violations are happening,” adding, “Now funding for other things that they may need, I have no problem with that.”

Bell accused Bush of linking Harris and Biden to fascism in an earlier interview. Bush said her remarks were taken out of context and argued that she was describing “a rise in fascism” that began under Trump.

Bush said Tuesday that a loss would not be a defeat for the progressive movement. “If there is a loss, then that just means that there is more work for us to do,” she said.