Ten years ago, with Ferguson boiling over in the wake of the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, Cori Bush and Wesley Bell stood on the same side.
Both Democrats were self-styled progressives, determined to upset the usual order of things. Bush was working on the protest lines to air grievances. Bell was maneuvering in the existing system to enact reforms.
And both have succeeded, each by pushing powerful officials to the sidelines.
Bell, a municipal lawyer, was elected to the Ferguson City Council in 2015. Three years later, he upset 28-year incumbent St. 亚洲无码 County Prosecuting Attorney Robert P. McCulloch. He was reelected with ease in 2022.
Bush, a nurse and minister, lost bids for the U.S. Senate and House in the years immediately after Ferguson. But in 2020, she dislodged U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay, a 10-term Democrat. She won again in 2022.
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Now the two are locked in a bitter primary fight for the Democratic nomination in the 1st Congressional District. The winner on Tuesday is expected to roll to victory on Nov. 5 in the heavily Democratic district, which covers St. 亚洲无码 city and parts of north, central and west St. 亚洲无码 County.
While their leadership styles differ 鈥 Bush, the outspoken advocate; Bell, the measured facilitator 鈥 there doesn鈥檛 seem to be much daylight between their positions on most domestic issues. Both candidates, for example, support abortion rights, alternative criminal sentencing policies and holding a tighter rein on police abuses.
In short, this is less 鈥渃onservative vs. liberal鈥 than it is 鈥減rogressive vs. more progressive.鈥
Where they sharply differ is on policies affecting a region about 6,400 miles from St. 亚洲无码 鈥 a disagreement that mirrors a national debate about how the United States should deal with one of its closest allies.
鈥楾one-deaf鈥 response
On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas launched its brutal attack on Israel, killing 1,200 civilians and taking more than 240 hostages.
In the days after the assault, as Israel was reeling from the surprise attack and planning its response, Bush not only spoke out against retaliation by Israel, she issued a call for 鈥渆nding U.S. government support for Israeli military occupation and apartheid.鈥
That statement, while consistent with Bush鈥檚 record of opposing Israeli government policy, was condemned by local Jewish organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League, which called it 鈥渢one-deaf, heartless, and beyond reason.鈥
With her response, Bush drew a big target on herself that pro-Israel groups were quick to lock on.
Bell, who was already seeking the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, was persuaded in late October to pivot to the House when it became clear Bush was vulnerable.
Just four months earlier, spurred by a Post-Dispatch column, Bell told Bush in a private telephone conversation he had no plans to challenge her.
When he reneged on that promise, and announced he was running on Oct. 30, support for Israel was front and center in his explanation.
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 said, then took aim at Bush鈥檚 confrontational position.
鈥淲ith the world in a dangerous place, we need steady and effective leadership,鈥 Bell said, 鈥淎nd we鈥檙e not getting it.鈥
Bush鈥檚 stance also united leaders in the local Jewish community. In June, a group of 35 area rabbis in The Jewish Light announcing their support of Bell.
Money pours in
While Bush was drawing fire from supporters of Israel, Bell was cashing their checks.
The latest Federal Election Commission reports show that Bell has pulled in about $4.9 million for his race; Bush has raised about $3 million.
They also show that Bell鈥檚 campaign has about $1.8 million in cash on hand, while Bush鈥檚 coffers contain about $355,000.
Bell鈥檚 money edge comes in no small measure from contributors connected to a powerful pro-Israel lobby, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
AIPAC has helped Bell鈥檚 campaign pick up more than $2.3 million in individual contributions that were earmarked through the organization, federal reports show. But that only scratches the surface of the money Bell has picked up because of his opposition to Bush on the Israel-Palestine issue.
Bell鈥檚 efforts have been bolstered by about $8.8 million from two organizations directly related to Israel, according to Open Secrets, a nonprofit group that tracks and publishes data on campaign financing and lobbying.
The funding arm of AIPAC, the United Democracy Project, has kicked in slightly more than $8.4 million, split between 鈥減ro-Bell鈥 and 鈥渁nti-Bush鈥 advertising, Open Secrets reported.
Add to that the Democratic Majority for Israel, which has pitched in $475,000 to aid Bell鈥檚 campaign.
Bush has missed few chances to note the outside spending, stressing that AIPAC donates money to Republican candidates. AIPAC readily confirms that fact, noting that their political activities support pro-Israel candidates, regardless of political party.
A good example of pro-Israel money helping tip the scales in an election surfaced in July, when incumbent U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-New York, was trounced by almost 17% by fellow Democrat George Latimer.
Pro-Israel groups, with AIPAC leading the way, spent more than $15 million to beat Bowman, a member of the 鈥淪quad,鈥 a group of progressive Democrats that includes Bush and U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib.
On top of the $8.8 million from the Israel-related groups, Bell鈥檚 campaign has been aided by an additional $3.3 million from other outside donors 鈥 $1.5 million from Mainstream Democrats PAC, which opposes both Republicans and far-left Democrats; and $1.4 million from Fairshake PAC, a crypto-currency group.
Bush鈥檚 campaign also has received help, albeit at a much smaller amount, from political action committees. Overall, her campaign has benefitted from about $3 million from outside groups.
The biggest outside contributor to Bush鈥檚 race has been Justice Democrats, a group aligned with the Squad, which has spent about $1.85 million, split between pro-Bush and anti-Bell messages.
Bush also has gotten substantial amounts from the Working Families party, which has given about $550,000; and the National Nurses Party, also tied politically to the Squad, has contributed $121,000.
Overall, the race has generated about $23 million in both individual contributions to the candidates and outside spending on their behalf 鈥 about $17 million for Bell and $6 million for Bush.
While the two candidates鈥 differences are sharpest on Israel, Bell has also scored points by highlighting Bush鈥檚 vote on a key legislative accomplishment of the Biden administration, the president鈥檚 $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, which included big-ticket projects for the St. 亚洲无码 area.
Bush says she supported the bill but voted against it because it did not include funding for a separate bill of projects that Bush endorsed. Bell called her position 鈥渢wisted logic 鈥 to say you supported it but voted against it.鈥
That vote cost Bush support from the construction trades, just like her opposition to military sales to Israel doesn鈥檛 play well with people who work at Boeing鈥檚 St. 亚洲无码-area operations.
Bell has picked up support from a range of industrial and trade unions, including heavy equipment operators, carpenters, plumbers, pipefitters, sheet-metal workers and laborers. Bush鈥檚 labor support has come mostly from the service industry and public sector, including unions that represent workers in casinos and restaurants, the communications industry and government employees.
Checkered records
Bush, 48, and Bell, 49, also share some common ground when it comes to managing money 鈥 more specifically, that both have been lambasted for not doing a very good job of it.
In January, Bush confirmed the federal probe into her spending on security services after the New York Times and other outlets reported that federal investigators had subpoenaed records from her congressional office.
Bush has labeled the allegations as 鈥渇rivolous.鈥
In her first four years in office, Bush has been among the biggest spenders on personal security, which has been paid by her campaign and not her congressional office.
Bush鈥檚 spending on security 鈥 a topic previously reported on by the Post-Dispatch 鈥 also has been the subject of several ethics complaints. During her time in Congress, Bush has drawn criticism for the amount of money she has spent on private security while also being a vocal advocate for defunding police.
Part of Bush鈥檚 spending practices that have come under fire involve her husband, Cortney Merritts III.
The two were married in February 2023, shortly after Merritts began working for the campaign. After the wedding, Bush kept Merritts on her campaign payroll and continued to pay him $60,000 a year for work was classified as 鈥渟ecurity services.鈥 After the complaints by two watchdog groups, Merritts鈥 job description was changed to simply 鈥渨age expenses.鈥
One possible fallout from the investigation and ethics complaints is that Bush may have had to use a substantial amount of her campaign contributions on legal expenses.
Her latest campaign report shows that of the approximately $1 million her campaign raised in April through June, about $290,000 (28%) went toward paying legal fees.
Bush鈥檚 money management also raised eyebrows late last year, when her campaign was in debt. In October, Bush reported that her campaign bank balance was less than $20,000, and that the campaign had an outstanding debt, since repaid, of almost $130,000.
But Bell is no stranger to fielding questions about his spending practices.
In September 2022, Bell鈥檚 office spent about $130,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act money 鈥 originally intended for hiring new prosecutors 鈥 to buy two new SUVs. One of the two vehicles 鈥 designated for Bell鈥檚 personal use 鈥 cost almost $70,000, a four-wheel-drive Ford Expedition with special law-enforcement options, leather seats and heated/ventilated captain鈥檚 chairs.
The spending occurred shortly after the St. 亚洲无码 County Council said the county was facing a $41 million revenue shortfall.
Also, in his first nine months in office, the Post-Dispatch reported that Bell and his staff spent more than $30,000 on travel and food.
Bell鈥檚 stewardship of his office also came under scrutiny when questions arose about his chief of staff, Sam Alton, who was allowed to moonlight as a lawyer and judge for area municipalities during his five-plus years of drawing a county paycheck.
The Post-Dispatch reported that in his first five years on the county payroll, Alton was paid $674,012 in salary 鈥 at the same time he was earning more than $776,000 from side jobs. Alton also claimed he worked less than three hours a week on outside work, when he actually worked more than seven hours a week at the side jobs.
Throughout the affair, Bell maintained that Alton was acting appropriately, calling him a 鈥減ublic servant who deeply cares about justice, equity and everyone in this community.鈥
Bell also remains at the center of a pending discrimination lawsuit which argues that his office fosters poor treatment of women. The suit even calls into question whether Bell has engaged in sexual relations with staffers.
Bell鈥檚 performance as prosecutor appears to be the principal reason why former state lawmaker Maria Chappelle-Nadal entered the primary race. Her campaign, which has been conducted mostly through social media posts and a continuing podcast, has focused largely on Bell鈥檚 tenure as prosecutor.
A fourth Democrat in the race is Ron Harshaw, a teacher who also ran in the same race in 2022 and got about 1% of the vote.
Home stretch
This is Bush鈥檚 second defense of her U.S. House seat. In 2022, she easily beat state Sen. Steve Roberts.
Some political observers argue this time will be different; recent polls show Bell leading the race and he has considerably more campaign money than Roberts had.
And to bring it full circle to Ferguson, the Rev. Darryl Gray, a fixture at the protests a decade ago and backer of Bush in previous elections, is endorsing Bell in the race.
At one recent campaign rally in downtown St. 亚洲无码, Bush appeared with about 30 members of service unions. In her speech to the crowd, Bush focused on Bell receiving money from groups (such as AIPAC) who also fund Republican candidates.
One of Bush鈥檚 most staunch supporters is Jay Ozier, president of the local chapter of the Coalition for Black Trade Unionists, one of the unions at the Kiener Plaza rally.
Ozier said he backs Bush because she has four years鈥 experience on the job, and because she fights for her district.
鈥淲e need more Cori Bushes in Congress, not less. She鈥檚 tough, she鈥檚 smart and she delivers for her district,鈥 Ozier said.
Ozier then echoed Bush鈥檚 comments about Bell accepting money from powerful lobbyists, something he said would not happen with Bush.
鈥淪he鈥檚 not afraid of old rich, white men,鈥 he said. 鈥淪t. 亚洲无码 is not for sale.鈥
Bell鈥檚 comments at appearances have centered on criticizing Bush for ineffectiveness on problems in the district, such as unemployment and crime.
Recently, Bell met with about 20 seniors at the Loving Arms Adult Day Care Center in Bellefontaine Neighbors, where he called numbers for two bingo games.
One bingo player who plans to vote for Bell is Anita Pulliam, 66, of Florissant, a native St. 亚洲无码an who returned from Chicago two years ago.
鈥淚鈥檝e been watching him and he鈥檚 done a good job,鈥 she said, adding that her biggest problem with Bush is her ideas about defunding police.
鈥淲e need more policemen out there, that鈥檚 what we need,鈥 Pulliam said. 鈥淲hat (Bush) is trying to do here just isn鈥檛 going to work.鈥
Arnold Carter, 62, of Dellwood, said has not yet decided who we will vote for in the primary. But he agreed with Pulliam that the area needs to be safer.
鈥淲e need to clean this (district) up,鈥 Carter said. 鈥淔ix problems within (police) departments, fine. But we need to clean up the crime.鈥
Editor鈥檚 note: This story was updated on Friday, Aug. 2, to reflect the latest campaign contribution totals.聽