Wesley Bell Again Defeats Cori Bush — With Plenty of Help From AIPAC
The moderate Democrat easily won the rematch in Missouri’s primary against an outspoken critic of Israel. The post Wesley Bell Again Defeats Cori Bush — With Plenty of Help From AIPAC appeared first on The Intercept .
In the Missouri’s 1st Congressional District primary race, Rep. Wesley Bell, D-Mo., emerged victorious over former Rep. Cori Bush, who had previously ousted him two years ago. The contest was one of several elections on Tuesday that saw left-leaning and democratic socialist candidates facing off against establishment Democrats within the midterm cycle.
Just an hour after polls closed, The Associated Press declared Wesley Bell the winner. Bell downplayed Bush's criticism of his pro-Israel funding, stating that while they acknowledged concerns over other issues, Missouri's focus is on its own matters. Bush, a former member of Congress and democratic socialist, faced significant opposition from outside groups which spent $4.6 million against her, compared to her $200,000 in outside spending.
The pro-Israel lobby, primarily through AIPAC and its super PAC, United Democracy Project, played a crucial role in Bell's triumph. They poured $3 million against Bush this year and $8 million in her favor during the previous cycle. The United Democracy Project reused tactics that had previously contributed to Bush's defeat in 2024 by targeting her votes against former President Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill and her ineffective membership in Congress.
Despite her previous electoral victory in 2022, Bush's campaign faced backlash due to her pro-Palestine stance, which aligned her with extreme left flank views in the party, including her endorsement of President Biden's administration.
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