Why AP called Missouri’s 1st District primary for Wesley Bell over Rep. Cori Bush

WASHINGTON (AP) — Wesley Bell’s sizable vote lead in St. Louis County and competitive showing in St. Louis city propelled him to victory over U.S. Rep. Cori Bush in the Democratic primary in Missouri’s 1st Congressional District, according to an Associated Press analysis of initial vote results.

The result marks the second primary defeat this year of a Democratic U.S. House incumbent.

Here’s a look at how the AP determined the winner:

U.S. House, Missouri’s 1st District (D)

CANDIDATES: Bush, Bell

WINNER: Bell

CALLED AT: 10:59 p.m. ET

POLL CLOSING TIME: 8 p.m. ET

ABOUT THE RACE: The Democratic primary in Missouri’s 1st Congressional District is the latest contest this year to highlight a deep division within the party over the Israel-Hamas war, even as both candidates tried to keep the district’s top local priorities in the foreground. In June, Democrat George Latimer defeated U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman in New York’s 16th Congressional District in a race that fell along similar fault lines. Both Bush and Bowman, members of the group of U.S. House progressives known as “ the Squad,” have been vocal critics of Israel’s response to the October 2023 surprise attacks by Hamas, with Bush saying the nation has engaged in an “ethnic cleansing campaign” against Palestinians. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s super PAC, which helped topple Bowman, has backed Bell, the St. Louis County prosecuting attorney. Bush has the support of House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. The 1st District is in eastern Missouri along the Mississippi River on the border with Illinois. It includes the city of St. Louis as well as part of surrounding St. Louis County.

WHY AP CALLED THE RACE: Bush was first