The Associated Press has called the 1st Congressional District race for incumbent Rep. Wesley Bell, giving him his second victory over former Rep. Cori Bush in two years.
AP called the race at 8:02 p.m. Tuesday, just over an hour after polls closed across Missouri.
Bell claimed the seat from Bush in 2024. Their rematch centered on the war in Gaza and millions of dollars in outside spending for the seat.
Bush repeatedly criticized Bell’s backing from the pro-Israel advocacy group AIPAC and affiliated super PACs, which again spent millions of dollars to support his campaign.
Bell supporters noted his focus on preserving voting rights as Republicans in Congress consider stricter voting requirements, which critics argue would disproportionately burden Black and low-income voters.
“The challenge to maintain the right to vote is very real, and he’s one of few candidates talking solely about it and calling together coalitions of leaders to address it in depth,” Lavern Beatty said.
For voters like Shirley Farmer, Bell’s consistent presence in St. Louis long before holding office was a factor in giving him her support.
“Wesley is a person of integrity. He has the people’s interest in mind before his own,” Farmer said. “I knew him before he started on this job, so that makes all the difference.”