US,Jefferson City: Democratic Congresswoman Cori Bush, a member of the "Squad," has lost her primary race in Missouri, according to projections from US media. Wesley Bell, a prosecutor from St. Louis, will be the Democratic candidate for the state’s first congressional district in the upcoming November elections.
Bush gained prominence through her role in the Black Lives Matter movement and became well-known as part of the "Squad" after assuming office in 2021, advocating for progressive causes. She has been a strong critic of Israel's actions in Gaza, which led pro-Israel groups to spend over $10 million in efforts to defeat her in the primary.
Both the Associated Press and NBC News have projected that Bell is likely to win with 51% of the vote, compared to Bush's 46%. The district is a stronghold for Democrats, and Bell is expected to maintain it in the general election.
The majority of the funds used against Bush came from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a pro-Israel lobbying group committed to spending over $100 million to unseat progressive lawmakers critical of the Gaza conflict, as reported by Politico.
This defeat marks the second loss for the Squad in recent months. In June, over $15 million was spent to successfully remove Jamaal Bowman, another critic of Israel, from his seat in New York—a record expenditure for a House primary. Bowman was ousted shortly after being censured for pulling a fire alarm during a House session.
Before the vote, Bell criticized Bush for "not doing her job" and claimed her lack of collaboration was detrimental to the district. In response, Bush defended her record, asserting, "My community knows who I am. They know I will fight for the people in the streets."
Following the October 7 attacks, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths in Israel and 251 hostages taken to Gaza, Bush introduced a resolution calling for a ceasefire and humanitarian aid. Israel's complete siege of Gaza has led to over 39,600 casualties during its military campaign, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Bush also boycotted a joint Congressional address by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in July, accusing him of genocide. Many House and Senate Democrats also boycotted the address.
Before the primary, Bush charged Netanyahu with carrying out "genocide" in Gaza and alleged that Congress was "actively celebrating" his actions. Additionally, Bush has faced investigations by the Justice Department, the House Ethics Committee, and the Federal Elections Commission regarding her campaign finances, particularly allegations of improper payments to her husband, who works as a security guard. Bush has rejected the claims of misusing federal funds, asserting that the accusations are "simply false."
