Voters in Missouri’s 1st Congressional District delivered [1] a clear message on Tuesday by denying Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., a third term in office.
Bush, a member of the “Squad” and a vocal critic of U.S.-Israel relations, and a strong supporter of the ‘Defund The Police’ movement, was defeated in the primary by St. Louis County prosecutor Wesley Bell.
Bell, a more moderate candidate with strong support from pro-Israel groups, emerged victorious after these groups invested heavily in his campaign to unseat Bush due to her controversial stance on Israel.
This defeat marks the second loss for a member of the ultra-progressive faction following Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s, D-N.Y., primary defeat to another pro-Israel moderate [2].
Leftist Democrats are whining because a Black man lost his Congressional seat in the primary.
Well, if that Black man was an obnoxious troll who accomplished nothing but division and is only noteworthy because he pulled a fire alarm (before saying he didn’t know what a fire…
— Zeek Arkham 🇺🇸 (@ZeekArkham) June 26, 2024 [3]
Bush’s loss comes amid increasing tensions over the U.S.’s relationship with Israel, highlighted by her comments following the October 7 Hamas attack. Bush had condemned Israel’s response, stating, “Israel’s collective punishment against Palestinians for Hamas’ actions is a war crime.”
Despite her loss, Bush did not shift away from her progressive base. Instead, in her concession speech, she got all worked up and screamed at her supporters about taking AIPAC down. Watch:
With Bush out of the race, Bell is now the favored candidate for the House seat in the upcoming November election.