Missouri Rep. Wesley Bell crushed a comeback attempt by his predecessor Cori Bush, a democratic socialist and sharp critic of the war in Gaza, in a high-profile Democratic primary Tuesday that drew millions of dollars in ads from pro-Israel groups. With more than 95 percent of votes in, Bell was leading Bush 59 percent to 37 percent in the Democratic contest for the St. Louis-anchored 1st District, The Associated Press reported. The result marks a victory for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel group whose campaign arm spent more than $2.5 million targeting Bush. Bell’s win is also a setback for the progressive movement, which has notched Democratic primary victories in Colorado, New York and Pennsylvania this cycle, including knocking out three incumbents. Bell, a former prosecutor who portrayed himself as a pragmatist focused on local issues, will be heavily favored to win a second term in November in a district that backed Kamala Harris by 58 points in 2024. “Two years ago, St. Louis voted for better and more accountable representation,’’ Bell said in a statement Tuesday. “We have kept that promise, whether it's bringing federal resources home to our neighborhoods, standing with working folks when they needed someone in their corner, or helping families cut through red tape.” New Democrat Majority, a super PAC aligned with the center-left New Democrat Coalition, spent $1 million on ads backing Bell. His win, the group said in a statement, represents “another clear victory for Democrats who are focused on delivering results.” In 2024, Bell defeated Bush, a nurse, pastor and Black Lives Matter activist, by about 5 points in what was then the second-most expensive House primary. Meanwhile, Missouri Republicans also selected their nominees for a pair of deep-red seats. In the 5th District, which state legislators transformed from safely Democratic to one that Trump would have carried by 18 points, Republican state Sen. Rick Brattin prevailed over five primary opponents. A hard-line conservative known for his socially conservative views, Brattin picked up President Donald Trump’s endorsement on the eve of the primary. He will next face Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II, a former Kansas City mayor who was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Cleaver, who is seeking a 12th term, topped CQ Roll Call’s most recent list of the most vulnerable House members. And in the 6th District, which covers northern Missouri, conservative radio host Chris Stigall won the GOP nomination for the deep-red seat of retiring Rep. Sam Graves. Stigall, who had the support of Graves and Sen. Eric Schmitt, finished ahead of Kansas City Councilmember Nathan Willett. . Virginia Republicans scored a major win in the redistricting wars this spring, when Virginia’s Supreme Court blocked a voter-approved map that would have given Democrats a chance to flip as many as four GOP-held seats in the commonwealth. Still, Democrats are targeting a handful of districts – all of which backed Trump in 2024 – and their top recruits easily prevailed in Tuesday’s primaries. In the 1st District, which stretches from the Richmond suburbs to the Chesapeake Bay, prosecutor Shannon Taylor won a crowded seven-person primary to take on GOP incumbent Rob Wittman, who was unopposed in his primary. In the Hampton Roads-based 2nd District, former Rep. Elaine Luria easily bested three opponents to set up a rematch against second-term Rep. Jen Kiggans, who faced no opposition for the GOP nod. Four years ago, Kiggans unseated Luria by 3 points. Another Democrat seeking a comeback is former Rep. Tom Perriello, who will take on Republican freshman John McGuire in the 5th District after both comfortably won their primaries Tuesday. Unlike Taylor and Luria, Perriello faces a steeper climb to flip his largely rural district, which includes Charlottesville and backed Trump by 12 points in 2024. In contrast, Trump carried the 1st District by 5 points and the 2nd by less than half a point. Republicans have Virginia’s 7th District on their target list this fall. But Army veteran Doug Ollivant, who won a three-way GOP contest Tuesday, starts off as a decided underdog against well-funded incumbent Eugene Vindman, who ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination. Kamala Harris carried the north-central Virginia district by 3 points in 2024. Washington state The November matchup is set in Washington’s battleground 3rd District, one of several contests that both parties view as key to determining control of the House, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez, a moderate Democrat seeking a third term, and Republican John Braun, the state Senate minority leader, advanced out of the all-party primary Tuesday, the AP reported. Trump carried the 3rd District by 3 points in 2024. In the open 4th District, the state’s reddest seat, Republican Amanda McKinney and Democrat John Duresky each earned a place on the November ballot after capturing the top two spots in the crowded primary to succeed retiring GOP Rep. Dan Newhouse. McKinney, a Yakima County commissioner who had Trump’s endorsement, advanced over several GOP opponents, including Navy veteran Jerrod Sessler, who lost to Newhouse in 2024. Kansas Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall will face Democrat Adam Hamilton, pastor of the nation’s largest United Methodist congregation, in his quest for a second term. Hamillton, who defeated 10 other Democrats in Tuesday’s primary, has raised $4.1 million through July 15 since entering the race at the end of April. But he has a tough task ahead of him in November in a deep-red state that last elected a Democrat to the Senate in 1932. Andrew Menezes and Mary Ellen McIntire contributed to this report.
