Missouri voters will decide a consequential slate of primary contests and constitutional ballot measures on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The results could not only reshape the state\u2019s tax structure and its process for amending its constitution, but also serve as a litmus test for the national Democratic Party\u2019s ideological divide.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what to watch.<\/p>\n
A House primary features a rematch between a \u2018squad\u2019 member and a moderate.<\/p>\n
The marquee primary on Tuesday is a fiery rematch in Missouri\u2019s First Congressional District, where Representative Wesley Bell, a moderate first-term Democrat, faces off against former Representative Cori Bush, a progressive member of the Democratic Socialists of America.<\/p>\n
In 2024, Mr. Bell \u2014 a former prosecutor and member of the Ferguson, Mo., City Council \u2014 ousted Ms. Bush, a former Black Lives Matter organizer who was part of a progressive group of congresswomen known as \u201cthe squad.\u201d Two years later, Ms. Bush, who represented the St. Louis area for two terms, is attempting a comeback in a race that highlights the rift between the Democratic Party\u2019s moderate and progressive wings.<\/p>\n
Mr. Bell has maintained a distinct fund-raising advantage, and holds key endorsements from House Democratic leadership, including Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York<\/a>, the minority leader, and the Congressional Black Caucus PAC<\/a>. Ms. Bush has the backing of Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and the Democratic Socialists of America.<\/p>\n Ms. Bush has anchored her campaign on vocal opposition to the war in Gaza and criticism of pro-Israel groups, betting that Democrats have further soured on Israel since she was voted out in 2024.<\/p>\n