Missouri Democrat Rep. Cori Bush lost her congressional seat in a primary on Tuesday, becoming the second member of the progressive “Squad” to be ousted. Her challenger, Wesley Bell, St. Louis County prosecutor, won with 54.9% of the vote to Bush’s 41.8%, according to Decision Desk HQ.
Bush’s defeat was widely mocked by conservative figures online. Pro-Trump comedian Terrance K. Williams celebrated the loss, while Rep. Matt Gaetz mocked her attendance at Judiciary Committee meetings. Others, like Ryan Fournier and Michael Rapaport, tied her defeat to broader dissatisfaction with far-left politics.
Bush rose to national prominence after the Ferguson protests and unseated longtime Rep. William “Lacy” Clay Jr. in 2020. She aligned with progressives like Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Controversies plagued her term. She faced backlash for defending pro-Palestinian protesters after the October 7 Hamas attacks, with critics accusing her of siding against Jewish students. Another scandal involved paying her husband for campaign “security” while calling to defund police, drawing accusations of hypocrisy.
Bush and fellow Squad member Jamaal Bowman, also recently defeated, blamed their losses on heavy spending from AIPAC, which targeted both campaigns with millions in opposition ads.