Aug 5, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Progressive activist Cori Bush beats incumbent Rep. William Lacy Clay

Rebecca Falconer

Missouri Democratic congressional candidate Cori Bush speaks to supporters during a canvassing event on August 3, 2020 in St Louis, Missouri. — Cori Bush, who features in "Knock Down the House," about progressives who ran for Congress in 2018, canvasses in St Louis, Missouri, Monday. Photo: Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images

Progressive challenger Cori Bush, who featured in the Netflix documentary "Knock Down the House," defeated Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-Mo.) in the Democratic primary late Tuesday, AP reports.

Why it matters: She'd be the first Black Congress member to represent Missouri if she were elected to the House in November, per the New York Times. Clay, who's been in office for nearly 20 years, beat Bush in 2018. The former homeless woman, now a nurse and ordained pastor, led protests in Ferguson, Missouri, over the 2014 fatal police shooting of Black teen Michael Brown. Bush was endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.

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Progressive activist Cori Bush beats incumbent Rep. William Lacy Clay

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