Ousted ‘Squad’ Rep. Cori Bush Attempts Political Comeback In Missouri

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Former Democratic Rep. Cori Bush announced Friday she is seeking a political comeback in Missouri’s 1st congressional district.

Bush said in an announcement video posted to X that she is running for her old House seat because St. Louis “deserves leadership” that does not “wait for permission.” She also wrote in the social media post that Missourians need “a fighter who will lower costs, protect our communities, and make life fairer.”

“I ran for Congress to change things for regular people,” Bush said in the video announcement. “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 represented Missouri’s 1st congressional district from 2021 to 2025, and was defeated by Democratic Rep. Wesley Bell in the state’s 2024 Democratic primary, partly because some pro-Israel groups robustly funded her primary opponents.

“Today my former opponent, Cori Bush, entered the race for Congress. That’s her right, and in our democracy, everyone gets a say,” Bell wrote Friday in a post to X. “But here’s the simple truth: Missouri voters already rendered their verdict when they voted her out of office last year and chose to move on.”

Bush’s campaign did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

During her tenure in Congress, Bush was notably a member of the left-wing “Squad” faction in the U.S. House of Representatives. Other prominent current “Squad” members include Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Greg Casar of Texas.

The Department of Justice launched an investigation into Bush’s handling of campaign funds in January 2024, the New York Times reported.

In 2023, Bush introduced a resolution requesting $14 trillion in reparations from the federal government. Moreover, Bush previously called for defunding the police and also asserted in October 2020 that she wanted to “defund” the Pentagon.

The former congresswoman has previously been a vocal critic of the Israeli government. She also sparked criticism among other Democrats due to her referring to Israel as an “apartheid” state, The Hill reported in October 2023.