Wesley Bell beats Cori Bush in Missouri Democratic House primary rematch
Rep. Wesley Bell on Tuesday beat former congresswoman Cori Bush in a heated primary in Missouri's 1st Congressional District, CBS News projects.
Updated on: August 4, 2026 / 9:22 PM EDT / CBS News
The race was the latest display of intraparty rifts between establishment Democrats and democratic socialists over the future of the party and the U.S. alliance with Israel. Given the district's heavily Democratic leaning, Bell is favored to win in November.
Bell, a moderate Democrat who is supportive of the U.S. relationship with Israel, has represented the solid-blue district, which includes St. Louis, since 2025 after unseating the two-term Bush, who rose to prominence as a Black Lives Matter activist and blamed her 2024 defeat on the pro-Israel lobby, which spent millions against her.
The two clashed in a fiery debate on July 24 over their support for Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, U.S. military aid for Israel and campaign spending.
On Israel, Bell voted earlier this month against eliminating $3.3 billion in assistance to Israel in a vote that split House Democrats . Bell was in the minority, with more Democrats voting in favor of ending aid.