Missouri Democratic primary contests for St. Louis district
The developments in this story so far, most recent first.
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· date approximate Milestone
Wesley Bell wins Missouri Democratic primary against Cori Bush
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· date approximate Background
Wesley Bell ousted Cori Bush in the 2024 Democratic primary.
On a Tuesday in 2024, Democratic Congressman Wesley Bell won the primary election in the St. Louis area of Missouri. The Associated Press declared Bell the winner, who defeated former representative Cori Bush by approximately 5 percentage points.
The primary, held in a heavily Democratic district, saw significant outside spending. The United Democracy Project, a Super PAC aligned with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), spent approximately $3 million to support Bell's campaign, while the New Democrat Coalition's super PAC spent $1.1 million. In contrast, Cori Bush received just over $200,000 in collective outside spending from progressive groups such as MoveOn and the Working Families Party.
The election highlighted ideological differences between the candidates. Bell, a former county prosecutor, had criticized Bush for her vote against President Joe Biden's 2021 infrastructure bill—a vote Bush defended by stating the bill lacked promised spending on social services. While Bush had the backing of Senator Bernie Sanders and groups like the Democratic Socialists of America, Bell received endorsements from House Democratic leadership and the Congressional Black Caucus.
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· date approximate Background
Cori Bush was first elected to the US House of Representatives.
Cori Bush was elected to the US House of Representatives in 2020. Following this election, she served terms in the House, representing the St. Louis-based seat from 2021 to 2025.