Rep. Wesley Bell has defeated former House representative Cori Bush in Missouri’s Democratic primary for the state’s First Congressional District.
Bush had emerged as one of Congress’s most outspoken critics of Israel following the October 7 Hamas massacre and the subsequent war in Gaza, while Bell campaigned on a more moderate platform and has consistently supported the US-Israel strategic alliance.
The result represents an important victory for the Democratic Party’s pro-Israel wing after AIPAC and its allies invested millions of dollars in the race.
During his victory speech, Bell said of his voters, “There’s folks who chose to have their voices heard when there are forces trying to take those voices away from them.
But you chose to show up, show out and let – not just the country – but the world know that we are here and we are not going away.”
Looking ahead to the general election in November, Bell said “the fight is just starting,” and that he will “work with anyone who will work with us.”
“We do have a lot of work to do,” he said. “And the only way we do that is if we come together.” Meanwhile, Bush disparaged Bell to her supporters after his victory.
“It pisses me off,” she said, “that for the next two years, this community will be represented by someone who didn’t deem you valuable enough to show up to one candidate forum where there were audience comments, even though I showed up to every one.
Pro-Israel Democrats still holding against progressive challenge
As this election was widely viewed as a test of Israel’s standing within the Democratic Party, the Missouri outcome suggests that, at least for now, pro-Israel Democrats have succeeded in holding off the progressive challenge on Israel.
Attention now shifts to Michigan, where the closely watched Democratic Senate primary is expected to provide a broader indication of where the party is heading regarding Israel.