WASHINGTON (TNND) -- Cori Bush, the former U.S. Congresswoman who represented a district encompassing St. Louis, Missouri, announced in a video released on Friday that she will be making a bid to win her back seat.
"I ran for Congress to change things for regular people," she said in a 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, a former member of the far left coalition known as "The Squad," was first elected to Congress in 2020, becoming the first black congresswoman in Missouri. She was ousted from her seat after losing to challenger Rep. Wesley Bell (D-MO) during the 2024 Democratic primary. Bell received the backing of AIPAC, a pro-Israel lobby.
Following the October 7, 2023, attacks, which spurred the Gaza War, Bush spoke very critically of Israel, accusing the Jewish state of committing "genocide" and causing a "famine" in Gaza. She also accused Israel of creating an "apartheid" in the West Bank.
Bush's seat was among several held by anti-Israel Congress members which AIPAC targeted. AIPAC successfully saw the ousting of Bush and her colleague Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) in the 2024 primary elections. The pro-Jewish lobby spent $8.5 million campaigning against Bush and $15 million campaigning against Bowman.
In addition to her anti-Israel stance, Bush was a big proponent for many of the talking points of the Black Lives Matter movement, such as defunding the police.
In 2021, she received criticism that her calls to defund the police while she continued to rely on private security were hypocritical. Bush defended her use of private security and defund the police in a video filmed outside the Capitol.
"If I end up spending $200,000 if I spend 10,000 more dollars on it. You know what? I get to be here to do the work, so suck it up," Bush said in 2021. "And defunding the police has to happen. We need to defund the police and put that money into social safety nets, because we're trying to save lives you can't get that. "
In 2024, Bush was under investigation by the Justice Department for allegedly using campaign funds to pay for her husband to provide her private security. The investigation did not lead to former charges.
However, Bush's husband was charged in March for allegedly misusing two federal programs that were created to provide assistance to businesses during the pandemic.
Nonetheless, Bush shared that she'll be that "fighter" for St. Louis residents to ensure that life is fairer.
"I'm running because our district deserves someone ten toes down," Bush said. "For our families, for our wallets, for our safety, for our democracy, and for our bright future. St. Louis is built different, so am I, and so are we."
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