Rep. Cori Bush, the progressive Missouri congresswoman and “Squad” member, lost in the Democratic primary in St Louis Tuesday to Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell.
Bell had just over 51 percent of the vote to Bush’s 45.6 at the time of call by the Associated Press.
The race saw an influx of cash to Bell from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and the group’s super PAC, United Democracy Project (UDP). Together, they spent $9 million to oust Bush, who had called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza weeks after Hamas attacked Israel last October.
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Bush, who was first elected in 2020, also voted against a resolution barring Hamas members and others who participated in the attack from entering the United States.
Bush’s defeat comes on the heels of Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s loss, which also saw AIPAC invest heavily in challenger George Latimer. That contest turned out to be the most expensive primary in U.S. history.
Bush, in addition to opposition from AIPAC, has been facing a Department of Justice investigation into security expenditures, with allegations that she used campaign funds for her husband’s protection. Bush has denied wrongdoing, adding in a statement back in January that she was “fully cooperating” with investigators.
