When Democratic Rep. Cori Bush was elected in 2020, she became the first Black woman to represent Missouri, the first nurse and and the first organizer from the Black Lives Matter movement in Congress. And she’s hoping Tuesday’s primary will go her way, but it’s been a difficult journey  — and the second most expensive House primary in 2024 — against challenger Wesley Bell, the St. Louis County prosecutor. 

“My community knows who I am,” Bush told CBS News. “This district has seen me for the last 10 years going from the activist to the ‘politivist,’ which is what I call myself. They know that about me. They know that I am going to fight for the people in the streets.”

Bush rose to national prominence after defeating longtime incumbent Rep. Lacy Clay in 2020. She cruised to victory in 2022 but the two-term congresswoman is now facing her toughest political fight yet against Bell.  

“The congresswoman is not doing her job,” Bell said in an interview with CBS News. “She is not working with others, and it’s hurting our district.” 

The competitive match-up for Missouri’s First Congressional District comes weeks after incumbent New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman became the first Squad member to lose a primary this year when moderate Westchester County Executive George Latimer defeated him in June. Nearly $25 million was spent on ads, making it the most expensive primary race in the country. According to Ad Impact, Tuesday’s contest ranks second, with roughly $19 million in total spending.  

“There is concern which is why we, you know,  have such a ground game that is just amazing,” Bush told CBS News. “We understand what’s at stake.” 

Bowman joined Bush in a virtual campaign call Monday, along with several other fellow Squad members, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and Summer Lee. 

“I know exactly what you’re going through,” said Bowman, who called his loss “unfortunate.” “I know what it feels like to be constantly bombarded with ads and mailers and lies and B.S. that completely distorts who you are and your record.”  

The pro-Israel super PAC United Democracy Project, an affiliate of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, spent more than $14.8 million criticizing Bowman’s record. The same organization doled out more than $9 million in support of Bell and opposing Bush. The group has targeted Bush over her early calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and her criticism of Israel’s offensive against Hamas. At one point, she accused Israel of conducting an “ethnic cleansing campaign.”  Most of the super PAC’s ads have centered around her vote against the Democratic infrastructure bill and her overall record.

“This level of spending is a testament to the strength of Cori Bush — that one individual former nurse and single mother fighting for working people in her district is such a threat to right-wing interests, corporate power and Republican megadonors, that they have to drag our democracy through the mud to even have a shot at challenging her,” said Usamah Andrabi of Justice Democrats, which has spent roughly $2.4 million to boost Bush.

“These are some of the same donors and donations that the congresswoman went after in her last elections,” Bell responded. “So, it seems a little bit like sour grapes. It seems a little bit hypocritical that when I get that kind of support it must be for nefarious reasons.     

Bush and Bell did not debate during the primary, but the two have tangled over a range of issues. Last week a recording of a phone call between the two candidates in June 2023 was leaked, and according to the recording posted online at Drop Site, Bell told Bush, “I am not running against you.” 

“I just wish he would have told the truth from the beginning,” Bush quipped. “It was no reason to say ‘no,’ and to say, you know, in his words, ‘you have my word.'”

Bell claims he was “secretly recorded” while he was exploring a Senate run last year. He said his perspective changed after speaking with voters. 

“This isn’t anything personal with the congresswoman,” Bell explained. “It’s personal because I care about this district and this region.” 

Another flashpoint is the handling of Michael Brown’s death in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014. Friday marks the 10th anniversary since the 18-year-old was shot by a local police officer, Darren Wilson, sparking massive demonstrations. Bush was one of the key organizers on the ground and has remained close to the Brown family. Bell, a former municipal prosecutor and judge, served on the Ferguson City Council. When Bell became county prosecutor, he reopened an investigation into Brown’s death, but in 2020 announced that no charges would be brought against Wilson.

In one of Bush’s closing ads, Brown’s father, Michael Brown Sr., claims Bell “lied to us” because of his failure to charge Wilson. 

“I don’t know what else we could have done,” Bell countered. “We promised to look into it, and we did that. We did a thorough investigation, looked into it, but without any new evidence, unfortunately, it is what it is. And I made a promise as county prosecutor that we don’t prosecute people without evidence.” 

If elected, Bell says he plans to focus on an array of issues including jobs, gun safety and affordable healthcare. 

“That’s what I intend to take to D.C., that spirit of working together and getting things done,” Bell said. 

Bush remains hopeful Democrats can secure the majority in November. If she wins another term, she plans to continue her work around reproductive rights, helping the unhoused and advancing the Equal Rights Amendment. 

“There’s quite a few things on my list,” Bush said.

Nikole Killion

Nikole Killion is a CBS News congressional correspondent based in Washington D.C. As a correspondent, Killion played a key role in the Network’s 2020 political and election coverage, reporting from around the country during the final stretch of the campaign and throughout the Biden transition.