Progressive prosecutor Wesley Bell pledged to stay out of the race—before millions of dollars enticed him in.
By Ryan Grim, Drop Site
Last June, local prosecutor Wesley Bell called Rep. Cori Bush to assure her that under no circumstances would he be running against her, according to audio of a phone call between Bell and Bush obtained by Drop Site News. A few months later, he launched his primary challenge against Bush for the Missouri House seat after being recruited by AIPAC.
Speculation about Bell’s intentions had been heightened after publication of a column by Joe Holleman in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which noted the suspicions of local politicos that Bell was not fully committed to his announced run for Senate against Republican Josh Hawley, and may have been aiming to take on Bush. “My bet is that Mr. Bell is looking to raise his profile for a run against Congresswoman Cori Bush next year,” Ed Rhode, a former aide to the St. Louis mayor, and an adviser to numerous local politicians, told Holleman.
Bell told Bush that Hollemen was a “hack” and should be ignored. “Don’t think for even a second that that’s the case,” he told Bush. “And I’m telling you right now, I’m telling you on my word: I am not running against you. That is not happening.”
Bush told him she appreciated the call and the gesture. “I appreciate that,” she said. “I think the reason why people are asking me about it is because that’s what Steve Roberts did.” Roberts was a state senator in Missouri who “said he was running for one seat and then he switched at the end and ran”—against Bush.
Recent Posts
Mayor Mamdani’s First Day, A Zero Hour Conversation With Richard Wolff
Take Action Now If elected, what would Mayor Mamdani do on his first day in City Hall? How would a democratic socialist govern as a big-city mayor?……
The U.S. Is Funding A Bloodbath At Gaza Aid Centers
Take Action Now The admin just gave $30M to GHF, the organization at the center of charges that Israel is weaponizing assistance and shooting at…
Feeding The Warfare State
Take Action Now We Lose, the Weapons Makers WinBy William D. Hartung, Tom Dispatch The Senate is on the verge of passing the distinctly misnamed…
The Rage Of Billionaires And The Frenzy To Stop Zohran Mamdani From Becoming New York’s Mayor
Take Action Now The constellation of forces now regrouping with a vengeance includes titans of Wall Street, enormous real estate interests,…