Wesley Bell and Cori Bush are again facing each other to represent Missouri's St. Louis- and St. Louis County-based 1st Congressional District with a lot of familiar elements at play in a nationally watched primary.
The issue differences, particularly on support or opposition for Israel, remain the same. Some of the attacks the candidates are lobbing against each are nearly identical to those of 2024. And both Democratic contenders are trying to convince voters of a similar core argument: They're the best person to represent a region that's suffered from economic decline and societal turmoil.
"This race is not about national issues and it's not about international issues," Bell said after a recent stop at a senior living facility in Bellefontaine Neighbors. "It's about working families. It's about the folks in there, seniors. It's about St. Louis."
Earlier this month at the Service Employees Union International offices in St. Louis, Bush said: "I'm running for Congress to deliver for all of the people of St. Louis. And when I say all, I mean all."
But one thing that has changed since Bell defeated Bush in 2024 is the political environment for Democrats.
In the past year, candidates who, like Bush, criticized Democratic leadership and vocally opposed military support for Israel prevailed in contested primaries in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Colorado and Maine.
"Wesley Bell has a lot of the infrastructure advantages: the financial advantage, the incumbency," said University of Missouri-St. Louis political science professor Anita Manion. "But I think that there is that backlash happening right now. And so, I do think we've seen this in New York and Colorado. And in primary races where it's such a low turnout, that sort of energy can really make an impact."
Tornado recovery a focus
There's another huge difference between 2024 and 2026 for Bell and Bush: last year's tornado that ripped through St. Louis and parts of St. Louis County.
Republicans and Democrats from Missouri have said that they don't believe the federal response has been adequate given that the storm destroyed thousands of homes – particularly in north St. Louis. Bell said the main problem is that President Donald Trump's administration doesn't see federal disaster relief as a priority.
"First and foremost, what we've seen from the disaster relief process in this country is that it's broken and that it needs to be reformed and overhauled," Bell said last week during a joint appearance on the "Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air." "Currently, the way this system works is that when a disaster hits, there is one person who's the sole arbiter on whether or not those funds are allocated, and that's the president."
Bell said he worked with members of the delegation to make sure Trump approved Missouri's disaster declaration request and added he's working toward getting Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funds that could cultivate more housing in the area affected by the tornado.
But he pushed back against Bush's contention that her record shows she would have done a better job of obtaining tornado relief, adding that she was working with a Democratic administration that valued a vigorous federal response to disasters.
"The reason that St. Louis is not getting all of the disaster relief funds that we need is because we have a jackass in the office in the White House right now," Bell said. "We all know that under a Kamala Harris presidency, we wouldn't be fighting just to get things that that Americans need."
In response, Bush said Biden signed an emergency declaration for 2022 flooding much faster than for other recent Missouri disasters. She also said that she worked with members of the Missouri delegation to get additional money to help parts of the district recover.
"The more you speak about it, the more the urgency is there," Bush said on the "Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air." "And so, the declaration didn't come because the flood happened. It came because I kept pushing and pushing, and I wouldn't allow anyone to tell me no."
Bush disputed Bell's general contention throughout the campaign that she was not an effective member of Congress. She pointed out that, for instance, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, praised her help in keeping the Radioactive Exposure Compensation Act at a 2025 press conference.
"We were both at this press conference," said Bush, referring to herself and Bell. "But the only person that Josh Hawley acknowledged and said that he worked with to get this done was me. And I was not even in Congress anymore."
Asked about Bush's point about Hawley, Bell replied: "I never take it offensively when Josh Hawley does not give me credit."
Israel once again a dividing line
Bell and Bush have mostly similar views on many issues. They both want to dismantle the Trump administration's immigration policies. They oppose the war in Iran. And they support "Medicare for All," which would expand the government health care program beyond seniors to the general population.
Just like in 2024, though, support for Israel remains a contentious difference.
Bell does not support cutting off military aid to Israel, even as more of his colleagues have abandoned support.
"I think we have to support our allies not only in Israel, but in Taiwan and in Ukraine," Bell said. "They are on the front lines of our sworn enemies. I'm old enough to remember 9/11. Those same forces are still trying to attack us. When we hear 'Death to Israel' and 'Death to the West,' we also hear 'Death to America.'"
Bush said she would support cutting off military aid to Israel, adding that groups like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International consider that country's actions in Gaza to conform with the definition of genocide. Bell declined to call Israel's actions a genocide during their joint appearence.
When asked if lasting peace could occur in Gaza as long as Hamas, which perpetrated the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, remains in power, Bush replied: "I think that the people who live in that region need to make the decision about who is governing them."
"The region needs to be stabilized," Bush said. "And so I want to see self-determination for the Palestinian people, as well as safety for the Israeli people."
Bell was the beneficiary of millions of dollars' worth of ads in 2024 from groups supporting Israel, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. AIPAC's political action committee, United Democracy PAC, is spending several million dollars to boost Bell and attack Bush this year – though that group is not spending as much as it did in 2024.
Some of Bush's allies, such as former New York Congressman Jamaal Bowman, contend that groups like AIPAC are more toxic to Democratic voters in 2026 and added that their support of Bell isn't going to be as helpful as it was two years ago.
When asked what a Bush win would mean, Bowman said: "It would mean empowerment, inspiration, and upliftment for so many – not just in St. Louis, but across the country. It would be the ultimate referendum on AIPAC."
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is clearly affecting the 1st District's political dynamics. But whether that issue matters to the district's voters is another story.
That's because African Americans make up a plurality of the 1st District's population, and they historically don't see the conflict as a major reason to support or oppose a candidate.
Bell gained significant support from African American voters in St. Louis County in 2024 – and will need to retain that backing in order to beat Bush again.
"I think for a certain constituency, maybe a little older, more establishment voters that are still Democrats, they see Wesley Bell as sort of a more reliable figure," Manion said. "I think that Black voters and all voters care about issues that hit home right now. I think everyone's feeling the affordability crunch, but they do want to feel like someone is authentic. And I think that Cori Bush has had that going for her."
As was the case in 2024, the Bush-Bell contest is dividing St. Louis' political community.
Many trade unions are supporting Bell while some service unions, such as SEIU, are backing Bush. She is receiving support from a number of local elected officials like St. Louis Board of Aldermen President Megan Green. Bell nabbed support from high-level Democratic leaders like U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Democratic Congressman Emanuel Cleaver of Kansas City.
"One of the best things that happened to me in the aftermath of Lacy Clay leaving was Wesley Bell," Cleaver said last week in Ferguson. "Our caucus looks up to him and appreciates and supports him."
Bell supporters like former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California pointed to Bell's willingness to fight against Trump's agenda as a freshman member of Congress bodes well for his future.
"He is extraordinary, and the quality of leadership that came for this district to that Congress made a big difference," Pelosi said.
Bush backers like St. Louis Alderman Rasheen Aldridge say Bush can be effective in the majority, just as she was when she served in Congress.
"I would say a lot of the momentum's on her side," Aldridge said. "Cori's an activist, she's an organizer, so she's not afraid."
Whoever wins on Aug. 4 will likely be heading to Washington next year, since the district is so heavily Democratic. It's also possible that the winner could be serving in the majority.
STLPR's Annisyn Krebs-Carr provided information for this story.
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