Democratic congressman Wesley Bell won the Missouri House primary in the St Louis area on Tuesday, August 4th, 2026, defeating progressive former representative Cori Bush and ending her bid for a comeback. Bell's victory also dampens the recent momentum of pro-Palestinian candidates in Democratic primaries.

Bell had previously unseated Bush, a democratic socialist critical of U.S. aid to Israel and who accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, two years ago with significant financial support from pro-Israel groups. This rematch took place amid a wave of primary defeats of Democratic incumbents by progressive challengers.

The Associated Press declared Bell the winner shortly after polls closed. Given the district's strong Democratic leaning, Bell is favored to win a second term in the November general election.

The United Democracy Project, a Super PAC aligned with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), contributed approximately $3 million to Bell's campaign. Bush, elected in 2020 and a member of the progressive "Squad," faced criticism from Bell during the campaign for voting against President Joe Biden's 2021 infrastructure bill and for comments that appeared to link Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to "fascism." Bush responded that she opposed the bill only because it lacked promised social service spending and said her remarks were taken out of context.

Bell, a former county prosecutor, has stated he supports Israel while opposing the government of Benjamin Netanyahu.

Sources