Cori Bush, a Democratic Representative from Missouri, narrowly lost the Democratic congressional primary on Tuesday to St. Louis prosecutor Wesley Bell, who was backed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a leading pro-Israel lobbying group. This race marked AIPAC’s second targeted attack on a Squad member this election cycle.
With nearly 95 percent of precincts reporting election results, Bush was behind by less than 6,000 votes out of the 112,000 cast. The Associated Press called the race two hours after the polls closed.
After spending over $17 million to defeat Rep. Jamaal Bowman in July, AIPAC shifted its focus to ousting Bush. The group invested over $8 million in less than two months to unseat Bush.
Outside groups poured $18.2 million into the race, with Bell’s supporters outspending Bush’s allies by a ratio of four to one. AIPAC’s super PAC contributed $8.5 million to Bell’s campaign, while Democratic Majority for Israel PAC and Mainstream Democrats PAC supported Bell with half a million and $1.5 million, respectively. Justice Democrats and the Working Families Party spent just under $3 million to support Bush.
This intense financial campaign made the race the fourth most expensive primary in House history, according to the Working Families Party.
AIPAC’s funds were used for voter engagement, phone banking, digital and mail ads. One of the mailers, as reported by The Intercept, included images that distorted Bush’s features. AIPAC also helped bundle at least two-thirds of Bell’s campaign contributions.
Bush’s loss is seen as a victory for the pro-Israel movement, aiming to silence critics of Israel’s human rights abuses and its actions in Gaza.
Bush, one of the first members of Congress to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, alongside Rep. Rashida Tlaib, won her uncontested primary. AIPAC’s efforts to recruit a challenger for Tlaib failed.
Bush was first elected in 2020, defeating former Rep. William Lacy Clay in the Democratic primary, marking a significant shift in St. Louis politics and the end of the Clay dynasty.
Bell, known for his reformist agenda, was elected as the first Black lead prosecutor in St. Louis County, focusing on police accountability and restorative justice reforms.
As the congressional race intensified, Bell’s critics pointed out his failure to follow through on campaign promises and criticized his handling of reforms and the rising jail population during his tenure.
Bell’s critics also highlighted his comments after Michael Brown’s killing in 2014, which downplayed the racial divide in Ferguson.
