Frozen copy retrieved 2026-08-06T15:45:00Z for audit 2026-08-06T16-01-23Z. Original URL: https://www.timesofisrael.com/aipac-backed-wesley-bell-defeats-israel-critic-cori-bush-in-missouri-primary-rematch/. The Stochastic Parrot does not host or redistribute; this snapshot exists solely so that quoted spans remain verifiable if the original page changes. Character offsets below index into this plain text; highlighted spans are the quotes cited in the audit.

AIPAC-backed Wesley Bell defeats Israel critic Cori Bush in Missouri primary rematch

The Times of Israel · back to the audit

Missouri Rep. Wesley Bell registered a resounding victory in his Democratic primary Tuesday against former Rep. Cori Bush, a prominent Democratic socialist and ardent critic of Israel, whom Bell had also defeated in the 2024 primary. By the time 99% of the vote was counted, Bell had garnered 59.2% of the ballots to Bush's 36.9%. Bell is a supporter of Israel and was backed by the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC. Bell prevailed that year in a clash that was largely defined by a $9 million influx of AIPAC cash supporting him. Bush made the American Israel Public Affairs Committee a central issue in her campaign. The pro-Israel lobby has spent in the neighborhood of $3 million on the rematch. Bush, in a statement to JTA: "AIPAC has become yet another way for MAGA-donors to divide the Democratic base by meddling in primaries." Bell, in victory: "We're going to work for the people right here in St. Louis."