STREET. LUIS– Grabbing a microphone outside the courthouse where the infamous 1847 Dred Scott slavery case was argued, former Rep. Cori Bush described her ouster from Congress as another historic setback that needed to be reversed.

“We’re here saying, send that descendant back, send her back to the place that the slaves built,” Bush said. “This is our moment.” The crowd chanted “send her back.”

Bush, a progressive firebrand who began her political career as a Black Lives Matter organizer in Ferguson, served two terms before losing a primary challenge to Wesley Bell, a moderate local prosecutor.

Now they are locked in an intense rematch that will serve as one of the clearest referendums on the Democrats’ changing political landscape, including anger at the party establishment, growing skepticism about the US alliance with Israel and the growing influence of democratic socialists.

Both candidates are black, with political careers rooted in the modern civil rights movement that began with the police shooting of Michael Brown in 2014. But they have taken divergent paths since then, and the race will test whether voters want to re-elect Bell, who has emerged as a pragmatist, or return to Bush, who views legislation and activism as inseparable.

Bush lost to Bell by less than six points two years ago. He blamed his loss on the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s spending on the race and told his supporters that “all they did was radicalize me.” This time, her scathing criticism of the war in Gaza and Democratic leaders has become more common within the party, and she claims to have the “moral authority” in the rematch.

“It’s not that they’re necessarily afraid of me. They’re afraid of what’s coming with me. They’re afraid of all of you,” Bush told an audience of pro-Palestinian activists, Black Lives Matter organizers and democratic socialists who had traveled from across the country to campaign for her in the summer heat. Some held portable fans or poured water on themselves to cool off as they listened to hours of speeches by Bush allies near St. Louis’ iconic Gateway Arch.

While Bush was at the park, Bell met with seniors at a historic black church. He has dismissed Bush’s attacks as a more effective legislator and met with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday night, a sign of support from the Democratic establishment.

“She’s not a serious candidate,” Bell said in an interview. “In this election, the options are clear. I wake up every day working for St. Louis, and the people of St. Louis know I’m going to wake up working for them. And then we have an opponent, Cori, who wakes up thinking about Cori. And we’ve seen it over and over again. And that’s why they fired her.”

Early voting for the Aug. 4 primary began Tuesday, but the two candidates have been trading recriminations for months. They accuse each other of misconduct and impropriety.

Bush criticizes Bell over a lawsuit he faces from protesters who allege they were assaulted at his town hall last year, and a settlement of employment discrimination claims brought by someone who worked in Bell’s office when he was a prosecutor.

Bell highlights a previous Justice Department investigation into Bush’s campaign spending, including how she paid her husband as part of her security detail.

Both candidates deny wrongdoing.

AIPAC’s role has also brought national attention to the district at a time when the organization, which advocates for a closer relationship between the United States and Israel, has been a lightning rod within the Democratic Party.

“Cori is the coup de grace for AIPAC,” said former Rep. Jamaal Bowman, a close Bush ally who was also defeated in 2024 by an AIPAC-backed primary challenger in a redrawn congressional district in New York. Before the recent rally, Bowman recorded a video on social media last weekend asking progressives “from New York to California” to help mobilize voters during early voting.

The deepening hostility toward Israel has raised concerns about anti-Semitism among some moderate Democrats and American Jews, who believe that anti-Israel rhetoric too often descends into prejudice. Bush’s recent event included some Jewish religious leaders sharing his criticism of Israel, as well as others echoing hateful tropes.

A former union leader, Jay Ozier, condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “warmonger,” condemned the “Israeli lobby that buys elections” and declared that “we need a representative who is willing to turn the tables on the moneychangers.”

The crowd, including Bush, applauded the comments, and Ozier later defended them by pointing out that it was a biblical reference to Jesus driving the merchants out of the Temple in Jerusalem.

Bush declined to directly address the “money changers” comment.

“We condemn anti-Semitism. We condemn anti-Muslim hate, behavior and rhetoric every chance we get,” Bush said in an interview. “But will Wesley Bell denounce those who do not oppose anti-Muslim sentiment, even in our own community? Will he stand up and fight for the liberation of the Palestinian people?”

AIPAC has spent more than $1.2 million against Bush this year through the United Democracy Project, its political action committee, about the same as the group opposing it spent in 2024. The New Democratic Majority, which backs moderate House Democrats, has spent an additional $1 million against Bush.

“She was a terrible, ineffective member of Congress who didn’t meet the requirements of St. Louis. We’re glad to see her go,” said Patrick Dorton, spokesman for the United Democracy Project.

Bell has emphasized his positions on the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees and defended his support for military funding for Israel.

“I think it’s important that we support our allies, and there will be times when we disagree and we will work through them,” Bell said. “But what we learned in Iraq, what we learned in Afghanistan, is that we can’t do it alone. We need our allies and we also need to be transparent with the American people.”

Many residents said their vote would depend on how the candidates had handled issues such as securing recovery funds for a tornado that devastated the St. Louis metropolitan area last year. There was also widespread discomfort with the role of money in the race.

Allison Johnson said she and her husband were divided over who to back in the Democratic primary. Her husband was more moderate and liked Bell’s performance in office, but she was concerned about how AIPAC had “wasted” money in the district.

“It doesn’t seem like there should be a lot of money influencing this race,” he said.

The primaries are also disheartening for some longtime residents, who saw Bush and Bell rise as figures in the Black Lives Matter movement.

Bell was elected to the Ferguson City Council and later St. Louis County Prosecutor.

“He’s the best person for the job. When he was on the council, he and I worked together to achieve police reform,” said Ella Jones, former Ferguson mayor and the first Black person to hold that office in the city’s history.

Bush was a pastor turned activist and triage nurse in the wake of the Ferguson protests of 2014. He won his House seat by promising to bring his nonconformist personality to the halls of Congress.

“I like Cori, I think she’s the best choice and she has a clear commitment to St. Louis,” said DeRay McKesson, an activist who gained notoriety as one of the main organizers during the 2014 protests in Ferguson. “She’s not afraid to challenge power.”