Conservatives are crowing and Democrats are fuming following a landslide loss by Congressman Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) on Tuesday, and the “Squad” member may soon see his feat repeated by another far-left colleague.
Polling shows a tight race between Congresswoman Cori Bush (D-MO) and her primary challenger, whom she leads by just a single point according to USA Today. The survey of 400 likely voters between June 18th and 22nd carries a 4.9% margin of error, indicating Bush’s lead is far from certain. Wesley Bell, a progressive prosecutor for St. Louis County, has seen resonance with a promise to fight for liberal priorities without the drama and baggage carried by Bush.
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The “Squad” member’s hold on the seat has been firm since she defeated Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-MO) in 2020 to win her first term. However, she won by less than 3% or 5,000 votes and ironically finds herself on the opposite side of the same scenario that propelled her to victory — an unpopular Democratic incumbent challenged by a pugnacious first-time candidate.
Central to the “Squad” identity has been group members’ pursuit of high-profile legislation and headlines without much in the way of bills passed or missions accomplished. She is tied for the lowest Missouri congressperson to see their bills out of committee, according to GovTrack. At the same time, a number of scandalous headlines have percolated during her tenure: the Department of Justice has quietly launched an investigation into Bush’s antisemitic bodyguard and whether he performed any actual work despite being paid hundreds of thousands of dollars by her official office. She has made plenty of avoidable errors as well, confusing Memorial Day with Veterans Day in a social media post, failing to understand the tax code when asked, and offering unsolicited opinions on race about selective criminal matters.
In a sign of how desperate the “Squad” has become to avoid consequences for their behavior, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) canceled her appearance at an Election Day rally with Bowman, underscoring how perilous it has become to chase progressive celebrity status by over-delivering on basic constituent services.
If you’re wondering how bad Bowman is going to lose tonight, AOC just bailed on an in-person event with him in the Bronx.
She’s also not sure if she’s gonna be able to make it to the watch party tonight for returns, lol. pic.twitter.com/pNcYEXrW1I
— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) June 25, 2024
House Democrats were irate at Bowman and his colleagues for putting the party’s chances of a majority in jeopardy with their antics.
“Nobody who cares about them tried to help, tried to stop them, tried to say, ‘Hey, there’s a better way. You don’t need to do this. You can advocate for your position without alienating the vast majority of voters,’” one Democratic lawmaker told Politico. “If you’re going to start huge fights as opposed to governing,” the person said, “there are consequences.”
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