![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/08-05-2024-Bell-Bush.avif\")
<\/a><\/p>\nWesley Bell and Cori Bush faced off in 2024, and are doing so again in 2026 (L: Michael B. Thomas for The Washington Post via Getty Images\/R: Celal Gunes\/Anadolu via Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The Associated Press called the race just an hour after polls closed, at 8:02pm local time. By the time 99% of the vote was counted, Bell had garnered 59.2% to Bush\u2019s 36.9%.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe approached this in a very simple way,\u201d Bell said in his victory speech. \u201cWe\u2019re going to work for the people right here in St. Louis.\u201d<\/p>\n
Recognizing that the region \u201chas not seen its best days,\u201d with families struggling to buy groceries and fill up their tanks, Bell stressed the importance of \u201ccoming together\u201d in his victory speech. He also reached out directly to his primary opponents, stressing the \u201cneed to start rallying around one another.\u201d <\/p>\n
Bush, in her concession speech, called for no such unity. <\/p>\n
\u201cSt. Louis, you deserve a representative that sees you, that hears you, that cares about every single one of you,\u201d she said, blasting Bell for not attending certain candidate forums and accusing him of \u201crunning a whole campaign on smears.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cFor the next two years, this community will be represented by someone that didn\u2019t deem you valuable enough,\u201d Bush added.<\/p>\n
The primary is a d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu moment for St. Louis. The same pair of candidates vied just two years ago to represent the state\u2019s 1st Congressional District.<\/p>\n
Bell prevailed in 2024 to oust Bush in a clash that was largely defined by a $9 million influx of AIPAC cash in support of Bell. In this rematch, Bush made the American Israel Public Affairs Committee a central issue in her campaign, similar to other Democratic Socialists of America candidates. <\/p>\n
In response to Tuesday\u2019s election results, AIPAC posted its congratulations to Bell on X: \u201cOur community was proud to support a strong, principled Democratic leader,\u201d the lobby stated.<\/p>\n
The Washington, D.C.-based Jewish Democratic Council of America, which had mobilized networks of voters to make phone calls in support of Bell, was quick to congratulate the congressman following his victory.<\/p>\n
\u201cRep. Bell is a leader in taking on Trump\u2019s corruption,\u201d the group posted on X. \u201cWe look forward to seeing him continue to fight for our Jewish and Democratic values.\u201d <\/p>\n
During her concession speech Bush accused those with outside interests of interfering in domestic politics. \u201cBillionaires want to control this district, Republican billionaires, to be exact,\u201d Bush said. She described Bell\u2019s campaign as \u201cfunded primarily by Republican Trump MAGA billionaires.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a written statement prior to the primary, Bush told JTA, \u201cAIPAC has become yet another way for MAGA-donors to divide the Democratic base by meddling in primaries.\u201d She added, \u201cIn St. Louis and across the country, people know that our fight against antisemitism means fighting against the far-right\u2019s effort to divide us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Federal Election Commission records show that this time around, AIPAC has invested far less in the race. Through its United Democracy Project super PAC, the pro-Israel lobby has spent in the neighborhood of $3 million on the rematch, with the vast majority targeted at opposing Bush.<\/p>\n
Aside from their conflicting perspectives on Israel, Bell and Bush have much in common. Born in Missouri in the mid-1970s, they are both Black progressive Democrats who entered politics after the 2014 police shooting of Michael Brown in the city of Ferguson.<\/p>\n
Amid protests across Ferguson for police reforms, Bell won a seat on the city council and focused on passing such changes. He went on to become St. Louis County prosecutor in 2018, defeating a 27-year incumbent who had failed to prosecute the officer who had killed Brown. <\/p>\n
Bush, meanwhile, became involved in politics by participating in the Ferguson protests. She lost Democratic primaries for the U.S. Senate and House in 2016 and 2018, but then won congressional races in 2020 and 2022. In 2024, however, she lost to Bell by more than 5 percentage points.<\/p>\n
The candidates have similar stances on most political issues, prioritizing concerns like reproductive rights, gun violence prevention and the dismantling of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as well as lowering costs of housing, utilities, healthcare and prescriptions. But they have sharp differences when it comes to Israel, with Bush\u2019s campaign pledging to \u201cstand for justice in Palestine.\u201d Bell, in contrast, has stood steadfast in his support of Israel.<\/p>\n
During his acceptance speech, Bell accused the Trump administration of \u201ccruelty, chaos and corruption,\u201d noting that healthcare costs are soaring, voting rights have been gutted and \u201cdemocracy is under attack.\u201d He also stressed that \u201cprogressives are supposed to make progress,\u201d noting that \u201cit is not enough to just say some nice words or look for attention.\u201d<\/p>\n
The thrust of his message was on unity, as he thanked his staffers and campaign volunteers for their \u201ctremendous work,\u201d as well as the voters who threw their support behind him. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s folks who chose to have their voices heard when there are forces trying to take those voices away from you,\u201d he said. \u201cBut you chose to show up and let not just the country but the world know that we are here and we are not going away.\u201d<\/p>\n