Cori Bush loses Missouri House primary as comeback bid ends in defeat
St. Louis, Missouri - Former Squad member Cori Bush on Tuesday lost her Missouri Democratic primary bid to return to Congress.
Representative Wesley Bell defeated Bush in Missouri's first congressional district with 59.2% of the vote to her 36.9%, according to the Associated Press.
The race was a rematch from two years ago, when Bell managed to oust Bush from her seat with the support of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
Bush had held the seat from 2021 to 2025. During her time in office, she introduced a resolution calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and joined hundreds of leaders around the world in demanding an arms embargo on Israel.
After losing the 2024 Democratic primary, Bush delivered a fiery speech in which she vowed to take on the Israel lobby, warning, "AIPAC, I'm coming to tear your kingdom down!"
AIPAC once again backed Bell this cycle. Its United Democracy Project super PAC arm spent more than $3 million to undermine Bush's comeback effort.
"What we just walked through is an opportunity for the people to have their voice through a congressional seat because that's what we had from 2021 through 2025 – January 3 in the morning, to be exact," Bush said on Tuesday, referencing Bell's entry into Congress.
"St. Louis, you deserve a representative that sees you, that hears you, that cares about every single one of you," she added.
Cover photo: MICHAEL B. THOMAS / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP