Cori Bush is celebrating after becoming Missouri’s first Black congresswoman.
Bush beat out Republican nominee Anthony Rogers, securing almost 85 percent of the vote (more than 80,000 votes).
“As the first Black woman and also the first nurse and single mother to have the honor to represent Missouri in the United States Congress, let me say this,” Bush said during her victory speech. “To the Black women, the Black girls, the nurses, the essential workers, the single mothers: This is our moment.”
Progressive political action committee Justice Democrats, who backed Bush, offered up their congratulations.
“It’s official. The first-ever recruited Justice Democrat candidate @CoriBush is going to Congress,” the group tweeted. “Six years ago police officers maced Cori in Ferguson as she helped spark a global movement. Three months from now she’ll be holding police accountable as a member of Congress.”
Bush has been a vocal advocate in the fight for justice for Breonna Taylor.
“To the people of Louisville, I stand with you. If Breonna Taylor doesn’t get justice, we all need to exercise our rights. We must raise our voices. Care for one another. In this moment, we won’t be silent. Let’s fight their violence with community power. #JusticeforBreonna,” Bush tweeted in September.
She also issued a statement, condemning the decision not to charge any officer’s directly with Taylor’s death.
“Breonna Taylor received no justice today. Breonna Taylor was shot 6 times. She received no medical attention for more than 20 minutes. We cannot stand while others reduce Breonna’s murder to a one-off “tragedy.” Her death was no accident,” Bush said in a statement. “Breonna Taylor could have been any one of us. This decision shows us all that, in the eyes of the American criminal justice system, Breonna Taylor’s life did not matter. That the lives of EMTs as first responders matter less than those of police officers.”
