Rep. Cori Bush Loses, Second Squad Member Out

(ProsperNews.net) – Democratic Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri lost her seat in the House for her state’s 1st Congressional District after a close primary contest.

On Tuesday, Aug. 6, Missouri held its primary elections and Bush failed to make the cut this time around after only receiving 45.8% of her party’s vote to keep her seat, amounting to 51,197 ballots. Bush was unseated by St. Louis County prosecuting attorney Wesley Bell, who earned 51% of votes at 57,062.

The race was a close one. In June, a Mellman Group poll published by Politico showed Bush started falling behind at the beginning of the year when Bell overcame a deficit of double-digits. Bush received 42% of support while Bell pulled ahead by a point, coming in at 43%, and 11% answered as undecided.

Bell’s campaign describes him as a “strong leader” who supports “common-sense solutions” for law enforcement that will make them “more effective” and more “efficient,” showing that more voters are moving away from the previous extreme rhetoric by Democrats against the police post-George Floyd. Since 2019, he’s served as a St. Louis County prosecuting attorney.

Bush is a member of the controversial Progressive Caucus in Congress, commonly called the “Squad,” and she’s not the only member of that group of liberal lawmakers to lose their primary elections in favor of less extreme candidates. In June, Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York also lost a chance at re-election to George Latimer, a Westchester County Executive.

Bush blamed the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) for Bowman’s loss, accusing them of bringing votes against him to push him out because of his pro-Palestinian positions. Bell also received support from AIPAC in his race against Bush. She and the rest of the Squad have maintained strong anti-Israel positions ever since the war between the Jewish state and Hamas kicked off in October of last year.

Along with Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaid of Missouri, Bush vetoed the “No Immigration Benefits for Hamas Terrorists Act” in February, a bill that would ban Palestinians from entering the US if they took part in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas that sparked the ongoing conflict.