St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell has announced his decision to withdraw from his bid to unseat Republican U.S. Senator Josh Hawley in 2024. Instead, Bell will now be running against U.S. Representative Cori Bush in the 2024 Democratic primary for Missouri’s 1st Congressional District seat that covers St. Louis and part of St. Louis County. This move comes as Bush faces criticism for her response to the recent Hamas attack on Israel, including her call to end “US government support for Israeli military occupation and apartheid” on social media.
Both Bell and Bush are African American, and they both gained political prominence following the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014, which played a significant role in sparking the national Black Lives Matter movement. Bush’s unexpected victory over Democratic veteran William Lacy Clay in the 2020 House election, as well as Bell’s surprise win over Bob McCulloch as St. Louis County prosecutor in 2018, further solidified their positions as notable political figures.
During a news conference, Bell explained his decision to change course, acknowledging that he believed he was the best Democrat to defeat Hawley. However, he stated that he received advice from various individuals across the state who urged him to run for Congress instead. Bell also criticized Bush’s stance on Hamas and Israel, emphasizing the need for effective leadership in addressing the global challenges the world currently faces.
The Bush campaign has yet to comment on Bell’s announcement. Given that St. Louis is predominantly Democratic, the winner of the August primary is expected to be the frontrunner for the November election. As of now, Bush and Bell are the only candidates in the race. Bush, despite facing a challenge from Democratic state Senator Steve Roberts, comfortably won re-election to the House in 2022.
Bush’s recent vote against a resolution supporting Israel following the Hamas attacks, as well as her remarks, have drawn criticism from former Democratic U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri. McCaskill shared a St. Louis Post-Dispatch story on social media, highlighting Bush’s controversial statement on the Hamas attack on Israel.
In the Democratic Senate primary, Bell was competing against four other candidates. The leading candidate is Marine veteran Lucas Kunce, who launched his campaign to unseat Hawley in January 2022, on the anniversary of the Capitol riots. Bell’s Senate bid, announced in June, gained attention for his criticism of Hawley’s actions during the riots, including a now-infamous photo of the senator raising a closed fist in solidarity.
Bell and Bush had contrasting approaches in their response to the Ferguson shooting. While Bell, serving as a municipal judge and attorney at the time, advocated for calm and urged against violence, Bush emerged as a vocal leader in the subsequent protests. In Congress, Bush has been an advocate for reallocating funds from the police to initiatives such as mental health and social services.
As St. Louis County prosecutor, Bell has implemented significant reforms aimed at reducing the jail population, ending the prosecution of minor marijuana offenses, and promoting rehabilitation for offenders. He also established an independent unit to investigate incidents of officer-involved shootings.
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