WASHINGTON — Former Missouri Rep. Cori Bush, a onetime member of the progressive “squad” who lost her bid for reelection amid an onslaught of outside spending from pro-Israel groups last year, is seeking a comeback.

“I ran for Congress to change things for regular people,” the Democrat said in her launch video. “I’m running again because St. Louis deserves leadership that doesn’t wait for permission, doesn’t answer to wealthy donors and doesn’t hide when things get tough.”

Bush’s announcement Friday sets off a rematch with fellow Democrat Wesley Bell, who defeated her by more than 5 points in the 1st District in what was one of 2024’s most expensive primaries.

Bush, a nurse and pastor, was active in the racial justice movement in Ferguson, Missouri, after the killing of a Black teenager, Michael Brown Jr., by a police officer in 2014. Six years later, she notched an upset primary win over longtime Democratic Rep. William Lacy Clay.

In Congress, Bush rose to prominence early in her freshman term when she staged a protest over an expiring federal housing eviction moratorium. She and her colleagues in the “squad” often voted as a bloc and occasionally dissented from Democratic leadership. For example, she was among a group of six progressives who opposed the 2021 infrastructure package.

She also drew scrutiny over her use of campaign funds to pay for private security, including the hiring of her now-husband, which sparked a federal investigation. She denied wrongdoing.

Bell was a liberal prosecutor who worked to overhaul the criminal justice system and overturn wrongful convictions before coming to Congress. His campaign painted Bush as a contentious political figure more interested in gaining media attention than legislating.

But the primary in the dark-blue district centered on St. Louis was largely shaped by the split over Israel. Bell received heavy support from pro-Israel groups, while Bush had been one of the most prominent critics of the Jewish state in Congress.

Running as the incumbent, Bush had the support of party leaders, including House Democratic Whip Katherine M. Clark, who joined her on the campaign trail. But she became the second “squad” member to lose a primary last cycle in a race nationalized over the war in Gaza. Pro-Israel PACs also targeted New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman, who lost to Westchester County Executive George Latimer, a moderate with deep local ties.

In her launch video, Bush focused on her record.

“We brought billions of dollars home directly to our community. We secured flood relief when disasters struck our neighbors,” she said. “But because I spoke truth, they pushed back. Attacked my name, my motives, spread lies and hate.”

In 2024, the United Democracy Project, an arm of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, spent about $8.6 million on mailers, TV commercials and phone banks attacking Bush or supporting Bell, although the onslaught of negative ads did not mention Israel or the war in Gaza. The political action committee of Democratic Majority for Israel spent another $485,000 supporting Bell, and Fairshake, a PAC funded by the cryptocurrency industry, spent $1.4 million opposing Bush.

Under Missouri’s new congressional map pushed through by state Republicans, the 1st District is the only Democratic-leaning seat in the state after the dismantling of a deep-blue Kansas City-based district. The map faces court challenges, and a ballot initiative effort to override the new lines under the state’s constitution is also underway.

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