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
Israel Escalates its Aggression on Lebanon After Ceasefire Extension
Take Action Now Hezbollah reaffirmed that it does not trust the ceasefire negotiations, and vowed to continue resistance against the IOF.By Aseel…
From Student Encampments to the DNC Divide, A Zero Hour Conversation With Nadia Ahmad
Take Action Now Attorney/activist Nadia Ahmad helps us trace the arc.By RJ Eskow and Nadia Ahmad, The Zero Hour Report Two years ago, the nation…
The World is Getting Too Hot to Feed Itself
Take Action Now A new U.N. report maps how extreme heat is tearing through every layer of the global food system — and mostly overlooks the people at…
Cuba’s Fate Should Not Be in U.S. Hands
Take Action Now U.S. officials are relying on Trump’s executive order of January 29 which, without evidence, accused Cuba of being an “extraordinary…