Cori Bush trailing Democratic primary challenger by 22 points: Poll

Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) is trailing her Democratic primary challenger by 22 points in a new poll released Monday.

The poll — commissioned by GOP firm Remington Research Group on behalf of the Missouri Scout — was conducted on Feb. 7-9 and included 401 likely 2024 Democratic primary voters.

The survey asked respondents for whom they would vote in a hypothetical primary held today, if the race were between three candidates, listed in the following order: Wesley Bell, state Sen. Maria Chapelle-Nadal and Bush. The question did not indicate which candidate was the incumbent.

Half of the respondents said Bell, 28 percent said Bush, and 4 percent said Nadal. Eighteen percent said they were not sure.

Bell leads Bush in most demographic breakdowns, as well. Among African American respondents, 43 percent support Bell, 35 percent support Bush, and 20 percent are undecided. Bell wins white respondents — 60 percent — by a greater margin, compared with the 20 percent of white respondents who say they support Bush.

Respondents who identify as “very progressive” are split between Bell and Bush — 43 percent support each candidate. Among those who say they are “somewhat progressive,” Bell leads Bush, 42 percent to 27 percent. Among self-described moderates and conservatives, Bell leads Bush by a similar margin, 52 percent to 23 percent.

The serious threat to Bush’s reelection campaign comes as primary challenges to Democratic critics of Israel have arisen in districts throughout the country. Bush has been vocal in support of Palestinians and has been critical of Israel, since the war began in October 2023 between Israel and Hamas, the U.S.-designated terrorist organization that governs the Gaza Strip.

The poll also surveyed the likely Democratic voters’ views on “the war in the Middle East,” asking whether respondents are more sympathetic to the Israelis or more sympathetic to the Palestinians.

A plurality of respondents — 44 percent — said they were “not sure,” while 35 percent said they were more sympathetic to the Israelis, and only 21 percent said they were more sympathetic to the Palestinians.  

Bush’s campaign team did not respond to a request for comment from The Hill.

The survey had a margin of error of 4.9 percentage points.