St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell to Challenge Rep. Cori Bush in 2024 Primary, Drops Senate Bid

Bell, criticising Bush's stance on issues such as the Israel-Hamas conflict and the "Defund the Police" movement, drops primary challenge against Republican Senator Josh Hawley to instead run for Missouri's 1st Congressional District seat.

St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell announced on October 30, 2023, his intention to run for the House seat currently held by fellow Democrat Rep. Cori Bush in the 2024 election, while also dropping his campaign to unseat Republican Senator Josh Hawley.
Bell is critical of Bush's handling of topics such as the Israel-Hamas conflict and her calls to 'Defund the Police' - disagreements that have led to his decision to change the focus of his campaign.
Both Bell and Bush are leading figures within the Black Lives Matter movement which gained momentum following the fateful shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson in 2014. Bell was elected as St. Louis County Prosecutor in 2018 and Bush won her House seat in 2020.
During his tenure as Prosecutor, Bell instituted changes such as reducing the jail population, ceasing prosecution of low-level marijuana offenses, and establishing an independent unit to investigate incidents involving police officers.
Bell and Bush are currently the only candidates in the Democratic primary for Missouri’s 1st Congressional District seat. The district, which covers St. Louis and part of St. Louis County, is heavily Democratic.