St. 亚洲无码 County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell speaks to supporters on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, after winning the Democratic primary for the 1st District U.S. Congress seat. Video by Ansley Franco
ST. LOUIS 鈥 St. 亚洲无码 County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell on Tuesday night soundly defeated U.S. Rep. Cori Bush in a heated race for Congress with deep local and national implications.
Unofficial results with all precincts reporting show Bell had about 63,000 votes, or 51%. Bush鈥檚 tally closed in late in the evening, jumping to 56,500, or 46%, but she didn鈥檛 catch up.
By 10:15 p.m., the Associated Press called the race, and聽Bell prepared to address his supporters.
鈥淚 am absolutely honored and humbled to be the Democratic candidate for Congress from this 1st District,鈥 Bell told the crowd gathered at the Marriott St. 亚洲无码 Grand downtown.
Several minutes later, Bush appeared at her watch party, at an event space just down the street, and promised to fight even harder for her priorities.
鈥淎ll you did was take some of the strings off,鈥 she said. 鈥淎ll they did was radicalize me.鈥
Bush also delivered a message to Bell, saying "we have to be one St. Louis" and that she hopes he "actually takes the time to learn about our Palestinian, and our Arab and our Muslim communities."聽
The fight for the 1st Congressional District 鈥 covering St. 亚洲无码 city and parts of north, central and west St. 亚洲无码 County 鈥 has been one of the most expensive House primaries in the country鈥檚 history. It became, on one hand, a test of the influence of outside cash in a local race: Bell鈥檚 campaign was powered by more than $10 million from a national pro-Israel lobby, targeting Bush for her views on the Israel-Hamas war.
At the same time, the race was a test for the party鈥檚 newer, progressive movement, and whether it could hold onto power recently gained.
Bush is a member of the 鈥淪quad,鈥 a progressive bloc that includes U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and Jamaal Bowman, which has worked to push the Democratic party further left.
Bush鈥檚 fight against Bell threatened to make her the second Squad member to lose reelection: Bowman, of New York, was trounced by almost 17% in June by fellow Democrat George Latimer.
Two other Democrats running in Tuesday鈥檚 race, former state legislator Maria Chappelle-Nadal and teacher Ron Harshaw, together gathered about 3% of the vote.
Bell, a 49-year-old municipal lawyer, was elected in 2015 to the Ferguson City Council. Three years later, he upset 28-year incumbent St. 亚洲无码 County Prosecuting Attorney Robert P. McCulloch. He was reelected in 2022.
Bush, a 48-year-old nurse and minister, lost bids for the U.S. Senate and House before dislodging U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay, a 10-term Democrat, in 2020. She won again in 2022.
Both Democrats are self-styled progressives, holding many of the same positions on domestic issues. Both support abortion rights, alternative criminal sentencing policies and curbing police abuses.
But a conflict across the world has since divided them. On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing 1,200 civilians and taking more than 240 hostages.
In the days after the assault, Bush not only spoke out against retaliation by Israel, she issued a call for ending U.S. support for 鈥淚sraeli military occupation and apartheid.鈥
Bell, seeking the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate at the time, was persuaded in late October to pivot to the House race.
When announcing his switch, Bell said, 鈥淲e have to stand by our allies. We can鈥檛 give aid and comfort to terrorists, and Hamas is a terrorist organization.鈥
Bell鈥檚 fundraising has since swamped Bush nearly 3-to-1 鈥 about $17 million for Bell in contributions and outside spending to $6 million for Bush.
Bell鈥檚 edge came in large part from a powerful pro-Israel lobby, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
AIPAC provided about $10.7 million to Bell鈥檚 effort: $8.4 million spent on his behalf; and more than $2.3 million in contributions it solicited for his campaign.
Bush鈥檚 campaign also has received outside help, but only about $3 million.
'Wesley and Cori used to be friends'
Tuesday night, both candidates held election watch parties in or near downtown St. 亚洲无码.
Bush supporters gathered at Ch猫vre, an event space in a brick loft building at 1624 Delmar Boulevard, near the City Museum. Attendees ate soul food 鈥 fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, collards 鈥 and mused about the remarkable confluence of events that landed the race in the national spotlight.
鈥淚t鈥檚 funny how we got here,鈥 said June Yin, of St. 亚洲无码. 鈥淲esley and Cori used to be friends. It鈥檚 kind of ridiculous how this has all been happening because of the stuff with Israel.鈥
Dameon Christian, who runs a flower shop in DeBaliviere Place, called Bush a friend who has only ever fought for more for St. 亚洲无码. She doesn鈥檛 settle for the usual offerings in Washington, he said.
鈥淪he takes initiative,鈥 he said.
Bell supporters met at the Marriott St. 亚洲无码 Grand鈥檚 Majestic ballroom. Cheese and vegetable plates filled the tables; smooth jazz and small talk the air.
Janice Jernigans of St. 亚洲无码 said she thought Bell would win.
鈥淲hen he campaigned for the job he has now 鈥 the promises he made, he kept,鈥 Jernigans said.
By 9 p.m., the crowd at the Marriott had grown to over 250.
Ella Jones, the mayor of Ferguson, came to support Bell. 鈥淲e want to see the fruits of our labor,鈥 she said.
By 10 p.m., as results began to solidify, the mood at Bush鈥檚 party began to grow somber. Some attendees gathered in stairwells, in tears.
鈥淚 have this awful feeling in my stomach,鈥 said Neveen Ayesh, 31, from St. 亚洲无码 County. 鈥淚 won鈥檛 be going home until I know the results.鈥
Mayor Tishaura O. Jones spoke briefly, telling the crowd she was happy to see everyone supporting Bush.
鈥淣ow excuse me,鈥 she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 going to go sit in the corner and pray.鈥
The 1st District is heavily Democratic. Tuesday鈥檚 primary winner is expected to win on Nov. 5.
Ansley Franco and Serina DeSalvio of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.
Photos: Wesley Bell unseats U.S. Rep. Cori Bush to win Democratic primary
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which targeted Rep. Cori Bush in St. 亚洲无码, apparently sat out the Minnesota race.
Wesley Bell takes a video of his supporters as he takes the stage as the winner of the Democratic primary in the 1st Congressional District against incumbent U.S. Rep. Cori Bush on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, at the Marriott Grand Hotel in downtown St. 亚洲无码.
Katie Graham, center, with the campaign of U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, reacts with a fellow supporter at the candidate's election watch party on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, at Chevre Events in downtown St. 亚洲无码.聽