Wesley Bell to challenge Cori Bush for 1st Congressional District seat

Bell made his surprise announcement at a press conference Monday at The SoulFisher Ministries, a Normandy-based nonprofit.

The contest will pit two veterans of the Ferguson unrest in 2014 — Bush, an activist who helped lead protests, and Bell, elected to the Ferguson city council in 2015 — against each other. 

Bell said Monday he decided to switch races at the urging of Democrats who said “we need you in Washington, but St. Louis needs you in the House of Representatives.”

“With the world in a dangerous place, we need steady and effective leadership,” Bell said. “And we’re not getting it.”

The 1st Congressional District, which includes all of St. Louis and much of north St. Louis County, is solidly Democratic and about 50% African American. A Republican hasn’t represented the district in more than 50 years. 

Bell’s withdrawal from a four-person Democratic primary that will pick a challenger to Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley is a move that has been frequently discussed in political circles recently — but not necessarily predicted to actually happen.

The talk of challenging Bush — a high-profile member of a group of progressive Democrats nicknamed “The Squad” — began picking up steam in early 2023, when questions about her campaign management surfaced.

In April, ethics complaints were filed after Bush’s campaign continued to employ Cortney Merritts III as a security specialist after he and Bush were married in February. One of the complaints was dismissed last week by the Office of Congressional Ethics, Bush’s office said.

Also, recent campaign reports show that the Bush campaign is cash-strapped and running in the red — in debt about $130,000, with less than $20,000 in cash on hand.

Then in the last three weeks, Bush has been drawing criticism for statements she made after Hamas’ attack on Israel, statements that those critics found to be sympathetic to Hamas.

This is not the first surprise Bell has dropped upon the politics of the region this year.

In April, shortly after saying on public television that he did not have his eye on higher office in the near future, Bell announced he would seek the Democratic senate nomination.

The move was a surprise because the field already had a far more well-funded candidate in Lucas Kunce, who had statewide campaign experience from a 2022 run for the seat eventually won by former state Attorney General Eric Schmitt.

Complicating Bell’s challenge of Kunce was an entry into the race by state Sen. Karla May of St. Louis, who has been made many statewide connections from her 14 years in the state Legislature.

Bell made a big splash on the political-office scene in 2018, when as a clear underdog, he defeated seven-term incumbent Robert P. McCulloch. He was reelected in 2022 to a four-year term.

Bush’s surprise appearance on the St. Louis political stage came in 2020, when she defeated longtime incumbent U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay. Clay had represented the district for 20 years; his father, Bill Clay, represented the district for 32.

Bush survived a challenge in 2022 from state Sen. Steve Roberts, whose campaign was hobbled by past allegations of sexual misconduct.

This time around, Bush would have to face not only local criticism for what some label as being anti-Israel, as opposed to pro-Palestine.

The powerful American Israel Public Affairs Committee — a well-funded lobbying group known for directing funds against candidates it deems unfriendly to Israeli interests — has publicly lambasted Bush for her recent stances in regards to Israel.

Bush’s district includes several municipalities with a substantial Jewish population, including University City, Creve Coeur, Olivette and part of Clayton.

Bell on Monday was sharply critical of Bush’s stance on Israel: “We can’t give aid and comfort to terrorists, and Hamas is a terrorist organization.”

This story will be updated.