Wesley Bell defeats Cori Bush in Missouri House primary for second time

A comeback bid launched by former House "Squad" member Cori Bush was thwarted on Tuesday night, as establishment Democrats notched a key victory in the party's civil war with the insurgent left. Rep. Wesley Bell, D-Mo., defeated the former congresswoman and Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) member for the second time since 2024. Bell ran as a pragmatic alternative to Bush, while still touting himself as a progressive to appeal to Democrats in Missouri's 1st Congressional District. HOUSE REPUBLICANS AIM TO TURN DEMOCRATIC CIVIL WAR INTO MIDTERM WEAPON Before coming to Congress, Bell was a Ferguson, Missouri, City Council member and a county prosecutor. Bush made her name in politics as a Black Lives Matter organizer before coming to Congress, serving two terms before losing to Bell. She blamed her 2024 loss on the hundreds of thousands of dollars that pro-Israel groups from outside her district spent on the race. NEW YORK TIMES RAISES EYEBROWS BY REFERRING TO AIPAC AS 'HARD-RIGHT' PRO-ISRAEL GROUP The far-left firebrand utilized a similar line of attack against Bell this time around as well, accusing him of being controlled by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). "When the disaster caused $1.6 billion in damages and took several lives, Wesley responded by hopping on a flight to Israel funded by Trump’s donors less than 90 days later," Bush posted on X last week, referring to a 2025 tornado that tore through part of St. Louis. But those attacks failed to make enough of a dent in Bell's campaign. DEMOCRATS TARGET MORE GOP HOUSE SEATS AFTER SOCIALIST VICTORIES ROCK LEFT-WING PRIMARIES Bush was part of a wave of DSA-linked candidates posing a challenge to Democrats across the country, even unseating several sitting House lawmakers. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP It was a boon for Republicans, who argue that the Democratic Party is being pulled further left than where most Americans are comfortable with, painting the party as out-of-touch. Bell is now the heavy favorite to win a second term representing the deep-blue district in November.