Wesley Bell, St. Louis County prosecutor, announced Wednesday that he is running for U.S. Senate in the 2024 election. The office is held by Republican Josh Hawley, who won the seat formerly held by Claire McCaskill in 2018.
Bell didn’t mention his Democratic opponent Lucas Kunce before attacking Hawley – and his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by insurrectionists.
Bell called Hawley, “a political opportunist, not a public servant.”
“Missouri voters have not forgotten that on January 6, 2021, Hawley gave a power salute with his fist to an armed attempt to stop the sacred peaceful transition of power – and then fled in terror when he feared that the rabble he had inspired would come after him,” Bell said.
“I hold our democratic values as sacred. I honor the will of the people and am eager to serve Missouri as a United States senator.”
Bell called Hawley, “a political opportunist, not a public servant.”
“Josh Hawley has aligned himself with politics and policies that do not represent the best interests of Missourians. I vow to return this powerful public office to public service, not the self-serving politics that have defined Hawley’s brief career in public office.”
Bell was reelected as St. Louis County prosecutor in November 2022 with 71% of the vote after running unopposed in the Democratic primary election. He received the most votes of any candidate on the ballot in St. Louis County, which is Missouri’s most populous county.
Bell grew up in North St. Louis County. His mother is a county civil servant, and his father is a retired police officer. After attending Hazelwood Public Schools, Bell worked his way through college at Lindenwood University and law school at the University of Missouri.
After serving as a judge, a law professor, and a public defender, Bell won his first political office on the Ferguson City Council. He helped to negotiate and implement the City of Ferguson’s consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice.
In 2018, Bell toppled former St. Louis County prosecutor Bob McCulloch, a 28-year incumbent by a 14-point margin.
Bell touted his record as county prosecutor in his Senate campaign announcement.
“St. Louis County and Missouri are safer because we bring violent criminals to justice by aggressively seeking–and typically winning–prison time,” Bell said.
“We also use a highly successful Diversion Program to help people with non-violent offenses become productive citizens rather than being incarcerated in a Missouri prison at taxpayer expense.”
Bell’s office also is a member of the Jail Population Review Team that identifies defendants in pre-trial detention who can be released without endangering public safety.
Bell introduced the office’s first Conviction and Incident Review Unit that investigates and prosecutes police officers and other public officials who commit crimes. This unit also reviews past convictions brought by the office to ensure that all past convictions have integrity,
Bell expanded the office’s community outreach efforts, including the Community Case Review, where area residents can come into the Buzz Westfall Justice Center to learn about an aspect of criminal prosecution from the prosecutors, investigators and victim advocates who work these cases.
