Missouri 2026 Primaries Spotlight Shifting Democratic Views on Israel and New GOP Redistricting

Former U.S. Rep. Cori Bush is seeking a comeback in a St. Louis-area Democratic primary against Wesley Bell, who unseated her in 2024. The race is being watched as a barometer of how the Democratic base has moved on U.S. policy toward Israel after the 2023 Hamas attack. AIPAC, which spent heavily on Bush’s 2024 campaign after she criticized Israel’s response, is again backing Bell. An AP-NORC poll shows roughly 58 % of Democrats now say the United States is “too supportive” of Israelis, up from 45 % in a January 2024 poll, indicating a notable shift in public opinion. Both candidates first rose to prominence during the Ferguson protests after the 2014 shooting of Michael Brown.

Associated Press

Missouri’s congressional map was redrawn last year at the urging of former President Donald Trump, creating a more Republican-leaning 5th District that stretches east from Kansas City into central rural areas. Incumbent Democrat Emanuel Cleaver runs unopposed for the Democratic nomination in the reshaped district. In the GOP primary, State Sen. Rick Brattin—a Marine veteran and founder of the Missouri Freedom Caucus—has secured endorsements from Governor Mike Kehoe and a personal endorsement from Trump the night before the election. His main rival, Taylor Burks, a Navy officer and former Boone County clerk, competes alongside talk-radio host Chris Stigall (endorsed by retiring Rep. Sam Graves) and Kansas City Council member Nathan Willett in the neighboring 6th District, which now includes additional northern Kansas City neighborhoods.

Associated Press

Two statewide amendments, placed on the ballot by the Republican-controlled Legislature, would alter Missouri’s amendment process and tax structure. Amendment 4 would require any citizen-initiated constitutional amendment to win a majority in each of the state’s eight congressional districts, a higher threshold than the current statewide majority and a standard used by no other state. Amendment 5 would direct the Legislature to phase out the individual income tax while permitting a broad expansion of the sales tax to “any goods and services,” giving lawmakers five years to decide which items to tax without further voter approval. The measures follow recent voter-approved initiatives on abortion rights, recreational marijuana, sports betting, and Medicaid expansion—proposals that would have failed under the stricter district-majority rule.

Associated Press

Governor Kehoe’s office has highlighted the redistricting plan as a means to ensure “fair representation” for growing rural populations, while Trump’s endorsement of Brattin was framed as support for “conservative leadership” in the state. AIPAC representatives said they continue to back candidates who support a strong U.S.–Israel relationship, without commenting on the specific primary. Legislative leaders promoting Amendments 4 and 5 argue the changes will “protect voter intent” and “provide fiscal flexibility,” whereas Democratic officials warn the tax amendment could shift the burden onto lower-income residents.

Associated Press

Missouri voters will cast ballots in the upcoming primary, determining which candidates will shape the state’s congressional delegation and whether the two constitutional amendments will pass. The outcomes will signal how Missouri’s Democratic electorate balances progressive foreign-policy positions with local fiscal reforms, and how the GOP’s newly drawn districts influence the balance of power in the U.S. House.

Associated Press