AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Missouri’s state primaries

WASHINGTON (AP) — While a high-profile primary challenge in Missouri highlights a divide among Democrats, Republicans running for office in the state are showing just how united they are — at least when it comes to their loyalty to former President Donald Trump.

To be sure, the airwaves in Missouri are full of Republicans viciously criticizing one another as they vie for the nomination for governor, attorney general and other down-ballot offices. But that fight revolves around which candidate has proven to be most loyal to Trump and his agenda.

For Democrats, however, the primary between Rep. Cori Bush and St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell has come to represent their broader disagreement in how the United States should engage with Israel.

A political action committee affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee has spent more than $8 million against Bush, who has accused Israel of an “ethnic cleansing campaign” after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. The same PAC spent nearly $15 million against U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman, who lost his primary in New York earlier this year.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has maintained his support for Bush, who has also received financial support from progressive groups. Besides Bush and Bell, two other Democrats appear on the ballot.

<bsp-list-loadmore data-module="" class=«PageListStandardB» data-gtm-region=«RELATED COVERAGE» data-gtm-topic=«No Value» data-show-loadmore=«true»