Seismic aftershocks continue to rumble through St. Louis, MO, following a political earthquake, yesterday. When Ferguson activist, Cori Bush, in a rematch of the 2018 Primary, defeated twenty year Democratic incumbent, Congressman, Lacy Clay last night, it shook the foundations of the established political order in this city and possibly the whole State. But, even more significant than the unseating of a long entrenched Congressional Democrat, Cori Bush’s victory was part of a victory wave for Black women and women candidates more generally, across Missouri.
Columnist, Tony Messenger, writing for the St. Louis Post Dispatch this morning —
In the Democratic primary in St. Louis, Black women won the day. Cori Bush stunned the region and the nation with an upset of Congressman William Lacy Clay. Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner coasted to re-election, winning more than 60% of the vote. Treasurer Tishaura Jones won by a similar margin. Both Jones and Gardner were fighting against the traditional power structure of Democratic politics in St. Louis, including an infusion of dark money tied to the same people who have been pushing a corrupt airport privatization scheme on the city.
Black women also played an oversized role in expanding Medicaid throughout the state, as the massive margins in St. Louis and Kansas City, along with wins in traditional GOP strongholds St. Charles and Greene County, pushed the important health-care amendment to victory.
Prominent Ferguson activist and leader, Kayla Reed, reflected on these triumphs in tweets —
St. Louis had a huge night!!!! This election was certainly a reckoning for the voters in our city. White status quo and entrenched Black leadership mourned a campaign to unseat Black women incumbents.
They tried to unseat Circuit Attorney @KimGardnerSTL and Treasurer @tishaura. Their challengers were well funded and received the endorsements of the majority of the elected officials in STL.
The city sent a resoundingly rejected the message of the status quo. Not only did @KimGardnerSTL and @tishaura win, they won by a fucking landslide. That’s not all though. @CoriBush defeated Lacy Clay for Congress!!!!! Black women won tonight.
The attacks on these 3 women were absolutely disgusting. Their opponents went lower than low. You know what ended up being the lowest? Voter turnout out for them because we won!!!!!!!!!!!
And we passed Medicaid in Missouri. @ActionSTL knocked on more than 40k doors to help make it happen. Our political arm supported Kim Gardner. This win belongs to the people.
Cori Bush took down a political dynasty on her 2nd try. She ended a 50 year stronghold. Do you understand what that means?
The entire Black political establishment came after Tishaura. And she put them in the ground. Do you understand what this means?
The white status quo tried to silence Kim Gardner. They ran a white south side moderate against her with the backing of the police union and mega donors. And Kim put them in the ground? Do you understand what this means.
Do y’all understand @CoriBush was in the trenches. I met her during the Ferguson uprising and NOW as the movement is growing, she is going to Congress. Another harvest from the seeds of the Ferguson Uprising......
Lest you think that this is just a local rumble among St. Louis Democrats, columnist, Messenger makes some other points —
We comin’, they say. Expect us.
Those are the blaring messages in a Tuesday election that could have massive statewide implications in Missouri for decades. On Tuesday, Missouri Republicans decided to pick a statewide slate running for governor, lieutenant governor, treasurer, secretary of state and attorney general of five white men.
Democrats picked two white women, a black man, a black woman and a white man. It’s the most diverse statewide ticket in Missouri history, which will likely be led by the most diverse presidential ticket in history, and its path to victory doesn’t follow the old white Democratic strategy of trying not to offend rural white voters, but in depending on Black women to carry the day.
But, notwithstanding the obvious and growing importance of Black women in Democratic politics in Missouri, the election elevated many other Democratic women, too. For example, after yesterday’s Democratic, primary, our nominees for the State’s eight Congressional seats, including Cori Bush, consist of one African American man, two African American women and five White women, one of whom is disabled. All but one of their eight Republican opponents for the November 3 general election are White men. Democrats nominated no White men for Congressional seats this term, perhaps for the first time in State history.
So, to Missouri’s comfortably entrenched Republican majorities, I say: Do you understand what this means?
We comin’. Expect us.