Cori Bush Loses Democratic Primary

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Facts

  • St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell defeated second-term Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) in the Democratic primary for Missouri's 1st Congressional District on Tuesday, 51.2% to 45.6%.[1][2]
  • Bush, a nurse who rose to prominence as an organizer in Black Lives Matter, is the second member of the progressive House Democratic 'Squad' to lose a primary election this year, following the defeat of Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.)[3][4]
  • The primary race for Missouri's 1st District was second only to that for Bowman's Bronx-area seat in June as the most expensive ever, with pro-Israel political action committees spending millions to unseat the two 'Squad' members.[5][6][7]
  • Bush has been an outspoken critic of Israel and its military campaign in Gaza, voting against resolutions that would condemn Hamas for the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel and ban those involved to ever enter the US.[8][9]
  • Meanwhile, Bell will face Republican candidate Andrew Jones, who secured nomination in a five-way primary on Tuesday with 26.9% of the vote, in November in the race for Missouri's 1st Congressional District seat in Congress.[2][10][9]

Sources: [1]ABC News, [2]Washington Post, [3]BBC News, [4]FOX News, [5]Timesofisrael, [6]USA Today, [7]Intercept, [8]New York Times, [9]New York Post and [10]Associated Press on X.

Narratives

  • Progressive narrative, as provided by The Nation. Cori Bush is the latest progressive Democrat to become victim of big money from outside donors, many of them Republicans and pro-Gaza genocide groups, further demonstrating the need for the Democratic Party to reform its electoral system. She may have lost her seat, but she will remain on the right side of history.
  • Democratic narrative, as provided by CNN. It's a matter of fact that the electoral process must be fixed, as groups spending tons of money in primaries do influence voters. However, that alone doesn't tell the whole story here. The defeat of Cori Bush may indicate that Democratic voters, unlike Republicans, are dissatisfied with extremist representatives and have decided to push them back.
  • Republican narrative, as provided by National Review. Cori Bush and her far-left allies are blaming her defeat on pro-Israel money, as if these groups decided to support Wesley Bell out of nowhere. The only reason to funnel millions of dollars into the campaign of a St. Louis County prosecuting attorney is that his opponent was an anti-Israel agitator that has proven to be a liability for the Democratic Party.

Predictions