Rep. Cori Bush (D-MI), a member of “The Squad” and a critic of Israel, on Tuesday lost her primary to challenger Wesley Bell, a fellow progressive with pro-Israel backing, NBC News projected.
Bell, a St. Louis County Prosecutor, is expected to carry Missouri’s 1st Congressional District in November.
United Democracy Project, a super PAC tied to the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC, poured nearly $9 million onto the airwaves attacking Bush and boosting Bell. The prosecutor had initially been running for Senate, but decided to challenge Bush in a primary a few weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.
Bush, along with the other members of “The Squad”, are known for their criticism of Israel and calls on the Biden administration to condition aid to Israel.
In October, after the Hamas attacks, Bush called for an end to “US government support for Israeli military occupation and apartheid."
Those comments, along with comments by other “Squad” members, were blasted by White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who described them as “wrong, repugnant, and disgraceful.”
In the past, Bush accused the American government of funding the Israeli military in order to “police and kill Palestinians” and also refused to participate in an interview with the St. Louis Jewish Light.
Her defeat marks a second defeat for “The Squad”. In late June, group member Jamaal Bowman lost his Democratic primary to Westchester County Executive George Latimer.