Democratic Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri is threatening payback after she lost her reelection bid Tuesday to primary challenger Wesley Bell, a St. Louis County prosecutor, the Associated Press projected, becoming the second member of the progressive congressional group known as “The Squad” to lose her seat.
“All they did was radicalize me, so now they need to be afraid,” the anti-Jewish lawmaker declared. “They about to see this other Cori, this other side. AIPAC, I’m coming to tear your kingdom down.”
When Bush was elected in 2020, she became the first Black woman to represent Missouri, the first nurse and the first organizer from the Black Lives Matter movement in Congress. The primary race in Missouri’s 1st Congressional District between Bush and Bell was the second most expensive House primary in 2024.
“My community knows who I am,” Bush previously told CBS News. “This district has seen me for the last 10 years going from the activist to the ‘politivist,’ which is what I call myself. They know that about me. They know that I am going to fight for the people in the streets.”
Cori Bush defiant in defeat: "All they did was radicalize me, so now they need to be afraid."
— Mark Maxwell (@MarkMaxwellTV) August 7, 2024
"They about to see this other Cori, this other side," she said. "AIPAC, I'm coming to tear your kingdom down." pic.twitter.com/690T0aEhmZ
Bush rose to national prominence after defeating longtime incumbent Rep. Lacy Clay in 2020. She cruised to victory in 2022 but the two-term congresswoman faced her toughest political fight yet against Bell.
“The congresswoman is not doing her job,” Bell said in an interview with CBS News. “She is not working with others, and it’s hurting our district.”
The competitive match-up for Missouri’s First Congressional District came weeks after incumbent New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman became the first Squad member to lose a primary this year when moderate Westchester County Executive George Latimer defeated him in June. Nearly $25 million was spent on ads, making it the most expensive primary race in the country. According to Ad Impact, Tuesday’s contest ranked second, with roughly $19 million in total spending.
“There is concern which is why we, you know, have such a ground game that is just amazing,” Bush told CBS News. “We understand what’s at stake.”
Bowman joined Bush in a virtual campaign call Monday, along with several other fellow Squad members, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and Summer Lee.
“I know exactly what you’re going through,” said Bowman, who called his loss “unfortunate.” “I know what it feels like to be constantly bombarded with ads and mailers and lies and B.S. that completely distorts who you are and your record.”
The pro-Israel super PAC United Democracy Project, an affiliate of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, spent more than $14.8 million criticizing Bowman’s record. The same organization doled out more than $9 million in support of Bell and opposing Bush. The group has targeted Bush over her early calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and her criticism of Israel’s offensive against Hamas. At one point, she accused Israel of conducting an “ethnic cleansing campaign.” Most of the super PAC’s ads have centered around her vote against the Democratic infrastructure bill and her overall record.
With reporting from CBS News/KWAM