Key facts
- Wesley Bell won the Democratic congressional primary in Missouri's St. Louis area, defeating Cori Bush.
- Bell, a former county prosecutor, had previously unseated Bush in 2022.
- The United Democracy Project, a Super PAC aligned with AIPAC, spent approximately $3 million to support Bell's campaign.
- Bush, a member of "the Squad," had served two terms in the House of Representatives.
- Bell is favored to win a second term in the November election due to the district's strong Democratic lean.
- Other Democratic primaries saw Abdul El-Sayed nominated for Senate in Michigan and Donavan McKinney elected to Congress.
Incumbent Democratic Congressman Wesley Bell has won his primary election in the St. Louis area, defeating progressive challenger Cori Bush. The victory ends Bush's bid for a third term in the House of Representatives and comes amid a trend of progressive incumbents facing challenges from within the Democratic party.
Bell, who had previously unseated Bush in 2022, was supported by significant spending from pro-Israel groups, including the United Democracy Project, a Super PAC aligned with AIPAC, which reportedly poured about $3 million into the race. Bush, a member of "the Squad," had been a vocal critic of aid to Israel and accused the country of committing genocide in Gaza.
The campaign saw Bell criticize Bush for voting against President Biden's 2021 infrastructure bill and for remarks linking Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to "fascism." Bush defended her vote, stating the bill lacked promised social services spending, and that her comments were taken out of context. She, in turn, accused Bell of having his seat "bought" by AIPAC.
In other primary contests on Tuesday, Michigan Democrats nominated former public health official Abdul El-Sayed for the Senate over incumbent Congresswoman Haley Stevens, who also received backing from AIPAC. They also ousted Congressman Shri Thanedar in favor of state lawmaker Donavan McKinney. These results follow similar primary defeats of Democratic incumbents in New York City and Denver to candidates who opposed past votes supporting Israel.