'Squad' member Cori Bush faces Democratic primary putting a spotlight on Israel

ST. LOUIS — Democratic Rep. Cori Bush greeted volunteers and supporters two days before Tuesday’s primary election with a buoyant chant: “I believe that we will win!”

Bush is known as a fighter; it’s how she went from being an unhoused single mom protesting on the streets of Ferguson to becoming a prominent member of the so-called Squad of progressive House members in D.C. But now, the activist-turned-politician is fighting to avoid losing a primary against a well-funded challenger — four years after she came to Washington by defeating the then-incumbent in a primary.

“I’m just trying to make sense of why so much money would be spent in our congressional race when our district has so many needs,” an exasperated Bush told NBC News in an interview on a sweltering summer day.

She was referring to the more than $18 million spent in her race against Wesley Bell, making it the second most expensive House primary in the nation. Bell, who is St. Louis County’s prosecuting attorney, has had significantly more ad backup in the race thanks to a nearly $9 million infusion from a pro-Israel group seeking to oust Bush, an outspoken Israel critic.

Bell has consistently maintained that Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas and said he would be supportive of the U.S. ally if elected. There are other issues in the race, including a Justice Department investigation into Bush’s use of campaign money (Bush has said she’s cooperating with the investigation and denies using funds improperly.) But Israel — and the ads pouring in to contest the issue — has become a central part of another campaign just five weeks after Bush watched a fellow “Squad” member, Rep. Jamaal Bowman, lose a New York primary that largely centered around