Cori Bush, a former Democratic congresswoman from Missouri and former member of the anti-Israel progressive “Squad” in Congress, said on Friday that she intends to run again for a seat.
“Right now, we are in the fight of our lives. It isn’t politics as usual, and we can’t afford to operate as such,” she stated. “This is about survival for our families, and the moment is now.”
Rep. Wesley Bell (D-Mo.) defeated Bush in the Democratic primary last year and went on to win the seat. AIPAC pumped $8.6 million into the race to defeat Bush, according to OpenSecrets, a research group.
“Cori Bush was one of the most hostile, anti-Israel voices in Congress,” Marshall Wittmann, an AIPAC spokesman, told JNS. “Our community was proud to help defeat her and help elect a strong Democratic leader, who fights for the people of St. Louis.”
Bush cited her support for Palestinians in Gaza as one of her accomplishments during her previous term in Washington and, in a campaign video singled out AIPAC’s opposition to her 2024 re-election.
“Because I spoke truth, they pushed back, attacked my name, my motives, spread lies and hate,” she said in the video, over headlines of AIPAC spending against her.
In her campaign announcement, Bush also talked about her support for universal health care and housing, and her ability to obtain violence prevention and disaster relief funds for her district, among other political priorities. She also went after U.S. President Donald Trump.
“For me, it has never been about a title. It has always been about my community because St. Louis built me, brick by brick,” Bush stated. “Trump’s billionaire backers and the politicians in their pockets aren’t waiting to rig the rules, and we can’t wait to resist.”
