St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell announced on Monday that he will drop his bid to unseat Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) in 2024 and will instead challenge Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) of Missouri’s 1st Congressional District.
Mr. Bell’s decision comes as the Democrat congresswoman has taken criticism for her remarks on Israel’s ongoing conflict with the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. In an Oct. 30 post on X, Ms. Bush called on the U.S. government to “stop funding these atrocities against Palestinians.”
Last week, she was among just 10 House members—nine Democrats and one Republican—who voted against a resolution that expressed support for Israel and condemned Hamas’s cross-border terror attack against the country on Oct. 7. The attack killed more than 1,400 people, mostly Israeli civilians.
“Over the last several weeks, as I’ve campaigned around the state, I’ve heard one refrain from Democrats above all else; yes, we need you in Washington, but St. Louis needs you in the House of Representatives,” Mr. Bell said in an Oct. 30 statement on X.
“So, after thoughtful consideration and consultation with respected and committed community and political leaders, I am formally withdrawing as a candidate for the U.S. Senate.”
With Mr. Bell withdrawing from the Senate race, Mr. Hawley’s highest-profile candidates running to take on the Republican next year are U.S. Marine Corps reservist Lucas Kunce and state Sen. Karla May.
At a news conference after announcing his decision, Mr. Bell was critical of Ms. Bush’s position on the Israel-Hamas conflict, saying Israel has been a major U.S. ally for decades and has every right to defend itself.
He also pointed out that it would be a mistake to withdraw U.S. support for Israel as the country faces a historic terrorist attack.
“Understand this unique place that we are with the world literally on fire,” he said. “I think that we need to make certain that we are providing that effective leadership, not only in our district but in D.C. and on the world stage.”
During his time as a prosecutor, Mr. Bell has implemented sweeping changes that have reduced the jail population, ended prosecution of low-level marijuana crimes, and sought to help offenders rehabilitate themselves.
Ms. Bush is among a small but vocal minority of Democrats who’ve been openly critical of Israel’s military response to the Hamas attack. Other members of Congress, such as Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.)—both criticized for pushing an anti-semitic narrative—have also faced extensive and repeated accusations of antisemitism.
‘Disheartening’
Responding to Mr. Bell’s jump into the 1st congressional district race, Ms. Bush’s campaign described the move as “disheartening” in a statement on Oct. 30.
“It is disheartening that Prosecuting Attorney Bell has decided to abandon his U.S. Senate campaign to become Missouri’s first Black senator after less than five months, and has instead decided to target Missouri’s first Black congresswoman,” said Devon Moody, Ms. Bush’s campaign manager.
The statement said Ms. Bush was elected “on a bold, progressive vision,” and her 2022 reelection offered a clear mandate.
“The Congresswoman remains laser focused on working with her Democratic colleagues to prevent MAGA extremists from further eroding our basic human rights and blocking critical resources for our communities, and she will keep pushing forward a pro-St. Louis, pro-democracy, pro-peace agenda. No matter who enters the race and when, that focus will not change,” the statement said.
St. Louis is overwhelmingly Democratic, and the winner of the August primary will be the heavy favorite to win in November. So far, Ms. Bush and Mr. Bell are the only people in the race.
Ms. Bush, a Black Lives Matter activist, was reelected last year despite a challenge from Democratic state Sen. Steve Roberts, who positioned himself as a more moderate alternative.
The 47-year-old congresswoman first got involved with the Black Lives Matter movement in 2014 in Ferguson, when Michael Brown, an unarmed black 18-year-old, was shot and killed by a white police officer. In response to the killing, she began leading protests in her district, which led to months of unrest. In Congress, she has been an advocate of shifting money from police and using it for things such as mental health and social services.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.