Four reasons besides Israel that Cori Bush could be headed for defeat

Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) could be the second “Squad” Democrat to be ousted from her seat in the House of Representatives as the group of hard-left House Democrats’ views on Israel come under scrutiny, but for Bush, Israel is not the only factor leading some to believe she is endangered.

Bush has been one of the most outspoken critics of Israel as it fights Hamas in Gaza, accusing Israel of an “ethnic cleansing,” but there are four other factors that have played into why she was trailing St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell in a poll a week ahead of her primary.

Missing votes

One of Bush’s weak spots has been attendance in the chamber. She missed 232 votes between January 2023 and July 2024, according to GovTrack.

She was first elected in 2020 and had a significantly better vote attendance record in the 117th Congress, missing only nine votes. But with months to go in the 118th Congress, she has missed scores of votes. The figure makes her one of the most absent members of Congress when it comes to voting, but even when she has voted on legislation, it has not been well received.

Voting against the bipartisan infrastructure bill

In 2021, Bush was part of the group of hard-left Democrats who voted against the bipartisan infrastructure bill. The measure passed, thanks to support from centrist Republicans in the then-Democratic House, and was passed in the Senate and signed into law by President Joe Biden.

The bill has been one of Biden’s top pieces of legislation he has touted and promoted, but Bush and other “Squad” Democrats almost blocked it because it was not progressive enough. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), one of the members who voted against the bill, said she wanted assurances that the “Build Back Better” legislation, which included green and other policies, would be passed.

Bush’s “no” vote on the bill put her on the wrong side of a popular Democratic-backed bill, upsetting key constituencies.

Perception about her priorities

Another roadblock for Bush as she seeks a third term is voters’ perceptions. Voters in her district appear split on whether she has their best interests at heart on Capitol Hill, with one voter telling the Washington Post that he feels Bush has not addressed key topics.

“People around here are fed up of Cori [Bush] and feel like she hasn’t done enough,” said Jovan Manuel, who said he was supporting Bell.

Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), the only “Squad” Democrat to lose his seat, lost his June primary after his opponent, Westchester County Executive George Latimer, campaigned on the New York congressman’s antics and argued he was not representing the district well in Washington. The strategy could also help Bell oust Bush in Missouri.

Payments for personal security

Bush has come under criticism and a Justice Department investigation over campaign checks she cut to her longtime security guard and now husband.

The Missouri congresswoman faced FEC complaints over the disbursements, along with mounting criticism.

Bell is also facing a possible scandal regarding a discrimination lawsuit filed against him by a former assistant prosecutor.

The Democratic primary for Missouri’s 1st Congressional District is on Tuesday.