St. Louis, Missouri - Cori Bush has announced she is running for her former seat in Congress after losing the 2024 Democratic primary to an AIPAC-backed challenger.

Bush is running in the 2026 election to represent Missouri's first congressional district in the US House – a seat she held from 2021 to early 2025.

"What does it mean to be from St. Louis? When I think of home, I think of our community's red bricks – strong, weathered, resilient," Bush says in her campaign announcement video.

"Alone, one brick can be broken. But together, brick by brick, our neighborhoods, our history, and our strength become a force and a movement," she adds.

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Bush goes on to tout her accomplishments during her two previous terms in Congress, including securing federal funding and disaster relief for her district.

"But because I spoke truth, they pushed back, attacked my name, my motives, spread lies and hate," Bush says.

The former Democratic representative lost the party's August 2024 primary to St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell.

Bush said AIPAC and Republican donors dumped $19 million into the race in an effort to unseat her.

After the devastating loss, 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!"

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During her time in office, Bush 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.

Bush vowed to fight for everyday people – not special interests – if elected to return to the House.

"This community is my purpose," she insists in her video. "I ran for Congress to change things for regular people."

"I'm running again because St. Louis deserves leadership that doesn't wait for permission, doesn't answer to wealthy donors, and doesn't hide when things get tough."