Wesley Bell defeats Cori Bush a second time in brutal, AIPAC-defined Missouri congressional rematch

U.S. Rep. Wesley Bell (D-MO), a moderate, is projected to defeat progressive challenger and former congresswoman Cori Bush in Tuesday’s Missouri 1st Congressional District Democratic primary.

AP News called the race at 8:07 p.m. CST. As of 12:23 a.m. CST on Wednesday, Bell led with 59% of the vote compared to Bush’s 37%.

The two entered a rematch of 2024’s election for the same seat, where Bell defeated the two-term Bush with 51% of the vote compared to Bush’s 46%. A member of “The Squad,” Bush’s 2024 loss was one of the biggest progressive losses in the U.S. House that year, next to U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY). Both Bush’s and Bowman’s 2024 losses were largely attributed to the millions of dollars spent by the pro-Israel United Democracy Project, a super PAC tied to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

Bell has since tried to distance himself from the super PAC, but it still spent over $3 million in this year’s race to oppose Bush. In total, Bell and his allies outraised Bush by a margin of 27-1, according to AdImpact.

It's primary day in #MOPol!

The #MO01 primary has seen $5.3M in ad spending.

Ad support:
🔵Wesley Bell: $4.3M
🔵Cori Bush: $185K

Attacking Bush: $804K

The highest-spending advertisers in the race are the Bell campaign ($2.1M) and United Democracy Project ($2.1M).

— AdImpact Politics (@AdImpact_Pol) August 4, 2026

Bush, a former nurse, had banked on the recent wave of progressive electoral wins to help retake the seat, along with the Democratic Party’s growing opposition to AIPAC and criticism of Israel over its genocide in Gaza. Meanwhile, Bell has been critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but has also defended AIPAC and co-sponsored a resolution last year to increase defense spending towards Israel.

The moderate Bell was frequently critical of Bush’s hundreds of missed votes, saying she was not present for the 1st District when she was a representative and was more focused on TV interviews. Bush responded by saying she missed those votes due to bouts of COVID-19 and a funeral, and that she uses TV interviews to wield a bully pulpit.

The former St. Louis County prosecutor Bell will face either Paul Berry III or Andrew Jones, depending on the outcome of the Republican primary. The 1st District, which houses the city of St. Louis, is the only solidly Democratic district in Missouri after state Republicans used mid-decade redistricting at the request of President Donald Trump.