Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) has received an endorsement from the family of Michael Brown, the 18-year-old whose 2014 shooting by a Ferguson, Mo., police officer ignited nationwide protests and demands for racial justice.
Bush is currently engaged in a closely contested primary race against St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell, who gained prominence by defeating a seven-term incumbent in 2018.
During his campaign, Bell pledged to seek justice for the Brown family.
An ad released on Friday features Michael Brown Sr. and his daughter, who openly discuss Bell’s unfulfilled promise.
“After the murder of my son, Wesley Bell promised to pursue justice for my family,” says the elder Brown. His daughter adds, “My brother deserved justice.”
However, six years after Michael Brown’s death, Bell, who had just been elected, decided not to press charges against Darren Wilson, the officer who shot the teenager.
Bell stated that an independent review found insufficient evidence to charge Wilson with murder or manslaughter under Missouri law, despite the case being “one of the most significant moments in St. Louis’s history.”
“He never brought charges against the killer,” Michael Brown Sr. asserts in the ad. “He never walked the streets of Ferguson with me. He failed to reform the office.”
Bush, who has been a vocal activist since the Ferguson protests, attributes her political career to the movement that followed Michael Brown’s death.
She is now facing a tough reelection battle, with a June poll showing Bell leading by one point.
This week, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch editorial board endorsed Bell, criticizing Bush.
Despite this, the Brown family’s endorsement provides a significant boost to Bush’s campaign.
In the ad, Michael Brown Sr. condemns Bell, saying:
“He used my family for power and now he’s trying to sell out St. Louis. He doesn’t care about us.” His daughter closes the ad with a strong affirmation: “Cori Bush does.”
