Former Rep. Cori Bush (D-Missouri) announced Friday she is seeking to reclaim Missouri’s 1st Congressional District seat, nearly a year after losing the primary to Rep. Wesley Bell (D-Mo.), The Hill reported.

St. Louis deserves a leader who is built different. That’s why I’m running to represent Missouri’s 1st District in Congress.

We need a fighter who will lower costs, protect our communities, and make life fairer. I’ll be that fighter.

Join us: https://t.co/9T0EkpWvIL pic.twitter.com/TzONoSX5FC

— Cori Bush (@CoriBush) October 3, 2025

In a more than two-minute campaign ad, Bush, a progressive activist and former nurse, said she’s 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.”

She cited her focus on working-class St. Louisans and criticized opponents who “attacked my name, my motives, spread lies and hate.”

Bush, a member of  the Democrats’ progressive “Squad” from 2021 to 2025, lost last year’s primary by nearly six points after well-funded groups, including those aligned with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, backed Bell.

Bell responded on X, saying voters rejected Bush for prioritizing a national agenda over local needs.

Read more at The Hill.