Wesley Bell beats Cori Bush in 1st Congressional District after heated, expensive race (2024)

ST. LOUIS — St. Louis 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’s tally closed in late in the evening, jumping to 56,500, or 46%, but she didn’t catch up.

By 10:15 p.m., the Associated Press called the race, andBell prepared to address his supporters.

“I am absolutely honored and humbled to be the Democratic candidate for Congress from this 1st District,” Bell told the crowd gathered at the Marriott St. Louis 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.

“All you did was take some of the strings off,” she said. “All they did was radicalize me.”

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."

The fight for the 1st Congressional District — covering St. Louis city and parts of north, central and west St. Louis County — has been one of the most expensive House primaries in the country’s history. It became, on one hand, a test of the influence of outside cash in a local race: Bell’s 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’s newer, progressive movement, and whether it could hold onto power recently gained.

Bush is a member of the “Squad,” 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’s 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’s 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. Louis 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 “Israeli military occupation and apartheid.”

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, “We have to stand by our allies. We can’t give aid and comfort to terrorists, and Hamas is a terrorist organization.”

Bell’s fundraising has since swamped Bush nearly 3-to-1 — about $17 million for Bell in contributions and outside spending to $6 million for Bush.

Bell’s 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’s effort: $8.4 million spent on his behalf; and more than $2.3 million in contributions it solicited for his campaign.

Bush’s 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. Louis.

Bush supporters gathered at Chèvre, an event space in a brick loft building at 1624 Delmar Boulevard, near the City Museum. Attendees ate soul food — fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, collards — and mused about the remarkable confluence of events that landed the race in the national spotlight.

“It’s funny how we got here,” said June Yin, of St. Louis. “Wesley and Cori used to be friends. It’s kind of ridiculous how this has all been happening because of the stuff with Israel.”

Dameon Christian, who runs a flower shop in DeBaliviere Place, called Bush a friend who has only ever fought for more for St. Louis. She doesn’t settle for the usual offerings in Washington, he said.

“She takes initiative,” he said.

Bell supporters met at the Marriott St. Louis Grand’s Majestic ballroom. Cheese and vegetable plates filled the tables; smooth jazz and small talk the air.

Janice Jernigans of St. Louis said she thought Bell would win.

“When he campaigned for the job he has now — the promises he made, he kept,” 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. “We want to see the fruits of our labor,” she said.

By 10 p.m., as results began to solidify, the mood at Bush’s party began to grow somber. Some attendees gathered in stairwells, in tears.

“I have this awful feeling in my stomach,” said Neveen Ayesh, 31, from St. Louis County. “I won’t be going home until I know the results.”

Mayor Tishaura O. Jones spoke briefly, telling the crowd she was happy to see everyone supporting Bush.

“Now excuse me,” she said. “I’m going to go sit in the corner and pray.”

The 1st District is heavily Democratic. Tuesday’s primary winner is expected to win on Nov. 5.

Ansley Franco and Serina DeSalvio of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.