by Rebeka Zeljko
Democratic Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri is facing a massive polling deficit behind her primary challenger, prosecuting attorney for St. Louis County, Wesley Bell, according to a poll obtained by the New York Post on Sunday.
Bush, who like other ‘squad’ members has been vocally anti-Israel, is now up against a 23-point deficit against Bell as her primary approaches on Aug. 6, according to the poll conducted by McLaughlin & Associates for the CCA Action Fund. In June, fellow ‘squad’ member Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York was also confronted with a massive polling disadvantage after being outspokenly anti-Israel, going on to eventually lose his primary against now Democratic nominee George Latimer on June 25.
Like Bowman and other squad members, Bush has previously been criticized by pro-Israel Democrats for her comments and legislative action following the Oct. 7 massacre. Bush has continuously called for a ceasefire while at the same time voting against legislation that would condemn Hamas and antisemitism, prompting various pro-Israeli groups to endorse her opponent.
Shortly after Oct. 7, the House voted to condemn Hamas for beginning an “unprovoked war on Israel” after “slaughtering Israelis and abducting hostages in towns in southern Israel, including children and the elderly.” Bush, along with Democratic ‘squad’ members Bowman, Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Rep. Ilan Omar of Minnesota and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, all voted against the bill.
In February, Bush and Tlaib were the only two members of the House to vote against a bill that “imposes immigration-related penalties” on Hamas terrorists.
Many pro-Israeli groups, including the Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA), the Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI) PAC and the American Israel Affairs Public Committee (AIPAC), have now publicly endorsed Bell over Bush.
“Mr. Bell’s record stands in sharp contrast to his opponent, Congresswoman Cori Bush, whose opposition to the Democratic agenda and longstanding enmity towards Israel was underscored by her vituperative statements and votes since the October 7th terrorist attacks,” Mark Mellman, Chairman of DMFI PAC, said in a press release. “We’re going to do everything we can to help Wesley Bell defeat Congresswoman Cori Bush.”
The poll surveyed 300 likely Democratic voters from June 28 to July 1 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 5.7 percent.
Bush’s congressional campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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Rebeka Zeljko is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation.
Photo “Cori Bush” by Congresswoman Cori Bush.
