NORTHWOODS — Hitting hard on Palestinian rights, U.S. Rep Cori Bush kicked off her reelection campaign Saturday in north ºüÀêÊÓƵ County.
“I don’t know — and I don’t want to know — what it’s like to have bombs dropped on my community,†said Bush, a Democrat from ºüÀêÊÓƵ. “But if somebody was doing that to ºüÀêÊÓƵ, I’d want someone to stand up to help us.â€
The defense of Bush for her stance on the Middle East drew the biggest cheers from the 200 people who squeezed into Bush’s campaign headquarters in a strip mall in Northwoods.
Bush went on to say that instead of sending tax money to support the Israeli military, “that money needs to be spent right here in ºüÀêÊÓƵ.â€
That issue was dear to Bush’s main guest speaker, U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., the first Palestinian-American elected to the House.
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Tlaib praised Bush’s four years in Congress, describing her ally as “unbought and unbossed.â€
“When (Bush) is on the House floor and says, ‘I rise for ºüÀêÊÓƵ,’ you feel it,†Tlaib said. “I want her to be my Congresswoman.â€
Tlaib said she especially cherishes Bush’s personal support in the Israel-Hamas situation, praising Bush for “understanding (that) there can be a peaceful co-existence.â€
Bush is being challenged in the Democratic primary in August by ºüÀêÊÓƵ County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell.
Joining Tlaib in extolling Bush and the “morality†of her representation were three members of the ºüÀêÊÓƵ Board of Aldermen.
Aldermanic President Megan Green called Bush “a moral compass not just for ºüÀêÊÓƵ but a moral compass for this entire country.â€
Alderwoman Daniela Velazquez noted Bush’s support for abortion rights, reparations and homeless relief.
“She has my unwavering support,†Velazquez said, calling Bush a leader in “a fight for our humanity.†Also backing Bush was Alderman Rasheen Aldridge.
“For too long, we had the status quo,†Aldridge said, “and we ain’t going back.â€
Underscoring the importance of the Middle East conflict to Bush’s reelection, Nawal Abuhamdeh, a local Muslim, and Hannah Rosenthal, of the Progressive Jews of ºüÀêÊÓƵ, also spoke.
Abuhamdeh said the U.S. should use the money it gives to Israel for military aid to help Americans instead.
“Our choice is not merely political, it’s a moral necessity,†she said.
Rosenthal said her group has begun a “Jews For Cori†campaign. After pointing out that Saturday was International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Rosenthal said she and other Jews are “heartbroken, enraged and horrified†that the U.S. government supports Israel in the current conflict.
Bush was first was elected in 2020, defeating longtime Democratic incumbent William Lacy Clay in the primary. She was reelected in 2022 after turning back state Sen. Steven Roberts’ primary challenge.
The talk of challenging Bush began picking up steam about a year ago, when questions about her campaign management surfaced.
After spending heavily on security, ethics complaints were filed after Bush’s campaign continued to employ her husband, Cortney Merritts III, as a security specialist after they were married in February.
Also, recent reports show Bush’s campaign is in debt about $130,000, with less than $20,000 cash on hand.
Then in October, after Bush embraced a pro-Palestine stance, a pro-Israel lobby group reportedly set aside millions of dollars to defeat members of Congress who do not support Israel.
Even before the Hamas attack, Bush had been portrayed as being unsympathetic to Israel, having voted against extending defense aid and opposing other measures considered to be pro-Israeli.
The 1st Congressional District, including all of ºüÀêÊÓƵ and much of North County, is solidly Democratic and about 50% African American.