Establishment Democrats notch rare win as Wesley Bell fends off DSA-backed Cori Bush
Rep. Wesley Bell (D-Mo.) defeated former Rep. Cori Bush in his primary on Tuesday, thwarting an attempt by left-wing groups, including the Democratic Socialists of America, to avenge Bush's 2024 loss. Why it matters: It's a win for the Democratic establishment in an election cycle where triumphs against left-wing insurgents have been few and far between. Bell's win was propelled in part by United…
In a rare victory for establishment Democrats, Rep. Wesley Bell (D-Mo.) emerged triumphant in his primary, defeating former Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) in a hard-fought contest. This outcome signifies a significant win for the Democratic establishment during an election cycle where such successes against left-wing insurgents have been scarce.
The Bell victory was bolstered by the United Democracy Project, the super PAC arm of AIPAC, which poured over $3 million into the effort, as revealed by Federal Election Commission filings. Additionally, Bell received endorsements from House Democratic leadership and the Congressional Black Caucus, while Bush was backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and various left-wing organizations, including the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and the Justice Democrats.
Bell's campaign saw him leading Bush by an impressive 45 percentage points as of Tuesday evening, with the Associated Press projecting a win for Bell. This margin was achieved despite Bush's prior tenure representing the St. Louis-based district from 2021 to 2025, followed by a loss in the 2024 primary due to a campaign finance scandal and Armstrong spending of roughly $9 million on AIPAC ads.
Supporting Bell financially were the United Democracy Project, the super PAC of the center-left New Democrat Coalition, and Project 218, an affiliated Project 218, which collectively contributed $1.1 million and $250,000, respectively.
Bush's campaign was bolstered by outside spending from progressive groups, amounting to just over $200,000 from entities such as MoveOn and the Working Families Party. In contrast, Bell outpaced Bush in both fundraising and spending, amassing nearly $3.6 million in contributions and spending over $2.9 million by July 15, compared to Bush's $1.3 million in fundraising and $1.2 million in spending.
Looking ahead, Bell is widely expected to secure the November election, as former Vice President Kamala Harris carried the district by a 57 percentage point margin in 2024.
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