Source: Michael B. Thomas / Getty
Cori Bush and her rise to political prominence came with some hardships but despite the barriers, she persisted and will soon make history. Bush will become the first Black woman to represent the state of Missouri in the United States Congress after defeating an incumbent figure whose family held the position for over half a century.
Local outlet The St. Louis American writes that Bush, a single mother of two, defeated Rep. Lacy Clay, a 10-term congressman, by a count of 72,812 votes to Clay’s 68,201. Considering that their Republican Party’s primary counterparts did not tally anywhere near the votes that Bush and Lacy did, it is largely assumed Bush will be the presumed congresswoman for Missouri’s 1st District.
Bush, who is also a nurse and pastor, has a history as a frontline activist as well in her native St. Louis, joining the efforts of protest in nearby Ferguson after the death of Michael “Mike” Brown. In her emotional acceptance speech, Bush vowed to continue to seek justice for Brown and become a strong advocate of justice for all in the district, which includes the city of Ferguson.
“Almost six years ago to this day, Mike Brown was murdered,” Bush said this past Tuesday during the speech. “Murdered by the police in the streets of Ferguson, Missouri. I was maced and beaten by those same officers in those same streets. Six months from now as the first Black congresswoman in the entire history of Missouri, I will be holding every single one of them accountable.”
Bush was endorsed by the likes of Sen. Bernie Sanders and also the Justice Democrats, the group that put a powerful push behind Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez during her campaign in New York. AOC congratulated Bush’s win via Twitter, as did Rep. Ayanna Pressley. Check out those tweets below.
To learn more about Cori Bush, click here.
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Photo: Getty
