Former Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) announced Friday she’s launching a comeback bid to represent Missouri’s 1st Congressional District after she was ousted in her primary last year by Rep. Wesley Bell (D-Mo.).
“I ran for Congress because I know what it feels like to be a working-class St. Louisan. Too often unseen, unheard, left out,” Bush said in a more than two-minute ad. “I promised to fight for St. Louis, and we delivered.”
Bush, who served in the House between 2021 and 2025 and was a member of the progressive group known as the “squad,” was defeated during her primary last year as a group aligned with the pro-Israel American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and other opponents spent millions backing her opponent, Bell, the then-St. Louis County prosecutor.
The former nurse and community activist has been a staunch critic of Israel, which invited in a well-funded primary challenge against her.
In a statement days after the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack in Israel, Bush wrote that she mourned the hundreds of Palestinians and Israelis who had died and many more who were injured, saying she “strongly” condemned civilians being targeted.
Her statement also called for an end to “U.S. government support for Israeli military occupation and apartheid.”
Bell ultimately beat Bush in the August 2024 primary by close to 6 points. Given the Missouri House seat is a Democratic stronghold, Bell was all but assured victory in last year’s general election.
In her ad, Bush said, “because I spoke truth, they pushed back. Attacked my name, my motives, spread lies and hate.”
“I’m running again because St. Louis deserves leadership that doesn’t wait for permission, doesn’t answer to wealthy donors, and doesn’t hide when things get tough,” she said in a jab toward Bell.
In a multipost thread on social platform X, Bell responded to Bush’s candidacy, arguing that voters had already made clear how they felt about her when they ousted her from office last cycle.
“When it came time to deliver, Cori Bush’s focus wasn’t on our community, but on her own national agenda. That’s why our district was left behind,” Bell said, knocking her for her votes on the bipartisan infrastructure bill and legislation aimed at bolstering the child tax credit and offering perks to businesses.