‘Squad’ Democrat Suffers Crushing Primary Defeat

U.S. Rep. Cori Bush (D-MS) — who has garnered a reputation as one of the most far-left members of Congress — has been defeated by primary challenger Wesley Bell.

The result falls in line with weeks of polling data, which found St. Louis prosecutor Wesley Bell with a commanding lead over the “Squad” Democrat. A recent poll from the Democratic Majority for Israel, DMFI PAC, found Bell leading by six-percentage points.

The race was ultimately called with roughly 13 percent of the vote in shortly after 10 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday. Bell had a commanding lead at the time of the race call.

Bush, like a number of her progressive colleagues, had been the target of a massive spending campaign due to her opposition to the war in Gaza.

She is also facing a number of legal issues that caused her campaign to take a hit. In January, the Missouri Democrat became the subject of a federal investigation due to alleged misuse of Congressional funds.

Between 2020 and 2022, Rep. Bush spent approximately $500,000 on security detail. Her “Defund the Police” mantra opened her up to criticism of accepting security while calling for the dismantling of urban police departments around the nation. By February 2023, that figure had grown to more than $627,000, according to the New York Post.

The Daily Mail added that the DOJ has subpoenaed the House Sergeant at Arms for records relating to the misuse of congressional funds for security purposes. As of today, Rep. Bush has spent more than three-quarters of a million dollars in taxpayer funds on security line items for her office.

Bush’s loss comes just week after another “Squad” Democrat suffered a crushing primary defeat in U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY). Bowman was unable to survive a challenge from primary opponent George Latimer, who heavily focused on the congressman’s opposition to Israel and the war in Gaza.

The race ended up being one of the most expensive in U.S. history with more than $25 million spent in total. It also divided the Democratic Party, as Bowman received endorsements from fellow progressives like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT). Latimer received endorsements from a number of prominent Democrats himself, including Hillary Clinton.

Bowman was ultimately defeated by a wide margin.

Rep. Omar was also the target of a fierce primary campaign, though she was ultimately able to hang on.