Rep. Wesley Bell won a Democratic primary rematch against former Rep. Cori Bush in Missouri, NBC News projects. Bell's campaign, supported heavily by outside allies, outspent Bush by a 27-to-1 ratio, according to AdImpact, an ad-tracking service.

The United Democracy Project, a super PAC linked to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), spent $2 million backing Bell, primarily through negative ads targeting Bush. One such ad criticized Bush for her remarks against former Vice President Kamala Harris, referencing Bush's condemnation of the Biden-Harris administration's support for Israel amid her characterization of the situation in Gaza as genocide.

As Bell cast his vote on Tuesday, August 5th, 2026, he criticized Bush for focusing repeatedly on Israel, stating the issue was not impacting constituents in St. Louis. In response, Bush said at a campaign stop later that day that Missourians were unhappy with Bell for filling his campaign coffers with money from outside groups.

United Democracy Project reportedly poured $9.3 million into ads during the primary, accounting for nearly half of the race's spending. Sidney Clark, a Democratic candidate for state representative and local government official, said he supported Bell in 2024 but was voting for Bush this cycle because he believed Bell had "been paid for."

Sources