ST. LOUIS — Former U.S. Rep. Cori Bush is poised to launch a campaign to win back her old seat.
Sources close to the campaign say Bush, who lost a bitter re-election primary to then-St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell last year, has spent recent months hiring staff and preparing for the launch.
She could make an official announcement as soon as next week, the sources say.
Bush could not be reached for comment Friday. Craig Phelps, a spokesman for her previous campaign, said he couldn’t comment on a new run.
A spokesperson for Bell did not respond to texts or phone calls.
The news follows speculation that began almost as soon as Democratic primary results rolled in last August, when Bush’s loss ended her four-year stint in the Capitol.
Bush was a surprise winner in 2020, when she upset longtime incumbent William Lacy Clay, a fellow Democrat who had held the seat for 20 years.
In her first term, Bush became identified closely with an unabashedly progressive group of Democrats known as “The Squad.” She pledged to defund police and stuck to it. She called for $14 trillion in reparations for Black Americans. When her party’s leader’s opted not to push for an extension to a pandemic-era eviction moratorium, she camped out on the Capitol steps in protest.
She easily won reelection in 2022, and became an even more visible member of The Squad.
But in October 2023, Palestinian militants launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing 1,200 civilians and taking more than 240 hostages. And Bush used the term “ethnic cleansing” to describe Israel’s military response.
Local Jewish leaders denounced her. Within weeks, Bell announced his challenge, and eventually took in more than $10 million from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
In the August 2024 Democratic primary, Bell defeated Bush, 51% to 46%.
The night of her loss at the polls, Bush delivered a fiery speech to supporters, promising the loss would not quiet her. She called Bell “weak.” She put AIPAC on notice, saying “I’m coming to tear your kingdom down.”
In the months since leaving office, she has continued her criticism of the pro-Israel lobby as well as Democratic Party leaders she describes as failing to support her and feckless in the face of President Donald Trump.
On a recent podcast she hosted with former U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman, who also drew opposition from the pro-Israel lobby, Bush said the party needs to be better in the midterms.
“We need Democrats to, this time, in 2026, choose character over coffers,” she said. “Say no to the AIPAC money.”
In recent months, Bush has showed up at community events in St. Louis.
She attended protests, including the Ferguson memorial for Michael Brown and the push in Jefferson City against redrawing Congressional district maps. She also stood behind U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley at a press conference announcing federal aid to cleaning up radioactive waste in north St. Louis County.
One Democratic political strategist, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Bell’s recent actions — especially his continued support of pro-Israel positions — makes 2026 the ideal time for Bush to try to regain the congressional seat. The strategist also said Bell could be criticized for not being as visible as others in the recovery from the May tornado that tore through the region. “There’s still people in north St. Louis sleeping in tents,” the strategist said.
St. Louis Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier, a longtime Bush supporter, said she would not be surprised if Bush made a comeback.
“The Cori Bush I know is a fighter,” she said. “And it took over $10 million in outside money to get her out of her seat.”
She will start the race at a financial disadvantage, however. The last report she filed with federal election authorities showed her campaign committee with a negative balance of more than $13,000.
Her family is also confronting legal trouble. Bush’s husband, Cortney Merritts III, who has also worked for her campaign, was indicted earlier this year in federal court, charged with filing fraudulent applications with the Small Business Administration in 2020 and 2021 that allowed him to collect more than $20,000 in Covid-19 relief funds.
His case is set to go to trial in January in Washington D.C. federal district court.
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Austin Huguelet | Post-Dispatch
St. Louis City Hall reporter
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