Cori Bush made headlines earlier this month when she raised nearly $240,000 in the second quarter for her challenge against Rep. William “Lacy” Clay from Missouri’s Democratic primary.
Bush is an ordained minister and staunch Black Lives Matter activist and has been rallying for justice and equality for the Black community since the police killing of Michael Brown in 2014.
Bush’s fight for justice in the streets of Missouri has been fearless, to say the least. She has twice been struck down by COVID-19, but still continues to fight.
“Whether I was in the hospital fighting COVID or in the streets fighting for justice, people all over St. Louis and the country have continued to invest in our campaign,” Bush said in a statement. “Voters want a true fighter in Congress — that’s why we’ve raised half a million dollars purely from individual contributions from regular, everyday people.”
You may also recognize Bush from the Netflix documentary, Knock Down The House, alongside Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Paula Jean Swearingen and Amy Vilela.
“Being a woman of color, our image is really scrutinized. You have to speak like this, you have to dress like this,” Bush says in the documentary. “I decided that, yeah, I don’t care.”
This will be the second time Bush is challenging Clay. In 2018, she lost to Clay 56.7% to 36.9%. She is lobbying on a platform of Medicare for All, police demilitarization and reform, and the Green New Deal.
“This is a time in our history when complacency cannot be the standard. Americans today must decide between medication and rent. Our justice system over-incarcerates and our education system under-educates, while millions of children live in poverty and thousands live in cages,” her mission statement reads.
“I am running because our district deserves a purpose-driven leader with a proven track record of fighting for the people, even when it threatens my own life. I am running because I have seen that change can happen across this nation when regular people stand up fearlessly against an unjust system.”
