St. Louis, Mo. — Incumbent Congresswoman Cori Bush will avoid the title of being a one-term Representative.
Bush was able to use her incumbent advantage in the Democratic primary against Missouri State Sen. Steve Roberts, D-St. Louis County.
Bush had a large section of the voter base that supported her in 2020 taken out of Congressional District 1 in the redistricting process. Roberts and his Democrat colleagues in the state Senate were able to work with Republicans and secure Roberts the map he wanted.
The district shift wasn’t enough for Roberts to shake his history of sexual assault allegations, though.
Bush and her team repeatedly struck at Roberts’ alleged sexual assaults. Roberts has been alleged to have assaulted attorney Amy Harms as well as former state Rep. Cora Faith Walker, who died tragically in March.
Roberts wasn’t charged in either case, though he reached a non-monetary settlement with Walker in which he included language which stated he was clear of any wrongdoing. Harms received a $100,000 settlement from Roberts, who said he wanted to fight the case.
Much like GOP Senate candidate Eric Greitens, Roberts’ allegations sunk him in a race that he may have been able to win otherwise. Bush’s unstable footing with Black voters in 2020 made her a relatively weak incumbent in a majority Black district, her win over Roberts is a big step forward for her.
Bush will go on to face Andrew Jones Jr. in the general election.
She will still be a heavy favorite in the Democrat stronghold. Race To The White House predicts a 98.5% likelihood of a Democrat win in the district.
I’m a journalist hailing from the Detroit area. I love to tell investigative stories with a focus on everyday people.
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