1st District rematch

By Rudi Keller | Deputy editor

Good morning,

The Independent’s coverage of the important races on this year’s primary ballot continues today with a look at the 1st Congressional District Democratic contest.

Cori Bush is trying to reclaim the seat she held for two terms from Wesley Bell, who rode money from the American-Israel Political Action Committee to victory in 2024.

We also have an in-depth look at a state Senate primary in Jackson County, where House Speaker Jon Patterson must get by former state Rep. Dan Stacy. Patterson has all the money a candidate could need, while Stacy hopes to outwork him.

by Rebecca Rivas and Anna Spoerre

Wesley Bell and Cori Bush’s political careers were shaped by the protest movement that erupted in Ferguson in 2014 and grew into a national reckoning over race and policing. But for the past several years, one main issue is putting them at odds — Bell’s support for Israel and Bush’s advocacy for Palestinian liberation.

by Annelise Hanshaw

The 8th Missouri Senate District primary tests a fight running through Republican politics — whether a party leader who occasionally broke with his own caucus, and who built his campaign fund with help from the state’s most powerful business and lobbying interests, can be beaten by a shoestring campaign running hard to his right.

by Anna Spoerre

On Monday, Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe signed into law the only significant anti-abortion bill Republicans were able to pass this session as they faced heated debates with Democrats and fractured opinions over what to include in the final pared-down version of the bill.

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