Former “Squad” Member Cori Bush Aims for Political Comeback
St. Louis, Missouri – Former U.S. Representative Cori Bush, once a prominent figure within the progressive “Squad,” has announced her intention to reclaim her seat in Congress. After serving two terms representing Missouri’s 1st Congressional District, Bush seeks to unseat the current representative, Wesley Bell, who defeated her in the 2024 Democratic primary.
Bush officially launched her campaign with a message on social media, stating, “St. Louis deserves a leader with a different constitution. That’s why I’m running to represent Missouri’s 1st District in Congress. We need someone who will fight to lower costs, protect our communities, and make life fairer. I will be that person.”
In an accompanying statement, Bush emphasized the need for strong leadership in Missouri, claiming that the current political climate demands action and resolve.
“Right now, we are in the fight of our lives. This is not politics as usual, and we cannot afford to act like it. This is about the survival of our families, and the time is now,” Bush stated. “I’m running because Missouri’s 1st District deserves a different kind of leadership. A leader who doesn’t just navigate a broken system but works to build a better one. A leader who is present in the toughest moments, who fights for everyone, who unites us with courage, resilience, and love. A leader rooted in the community, who uplifts the voices that are often ignored and demonstrates what can be achieved when you fight for all. That’s what I’ve always been: a steadfast advocate for this district.”
Bush’s previous defeat to Bell in 2024 was by a margin of approximately 6,800 votes, a loss she attributes to outside influences and misrepresentations of her record.
Bell responded to Bush’s announcement by suggesting that the voters of the district had already rejected her due to her perceived absence from the district and her inability to effectively advance the Democratic agenda, further citing ongoing personal and legal challenges.
Bell’s comments alluded to a past Justice Department (DOJ) investigation into allegations of misused campaign funds for private security services, specifically payments made to her husband for his involvement in her security team. This investigation, after months of scrutiny, was eventually dropped.
Bush has previously blamed the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a prominent political action committee, for her previous defeat. She claimed that AIPAC spent millions of dollars to undermine her campaign due to her critical stance on Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
In her recent campaign launch video, Bush argued that she lost her previous election “because I told the truth, I was attacked, they attacked my name, my motives, they spread lies and hate.”
Bush’s initial rise to prominence occurred in 2021 when she defeated then-incumbent Democratic Representative William Lacy Clay, becoming the first African American woman to represent Missouri in the U.S. House of Representatives. Her return to the political arena sets the stage for a potentially contentious primary battle, with significant implications for the future of Missouri’s 1st Congressional District. The voters will have to decide if Bush’s progressive vision aligns with their values and priorities.
