History of Cori Bush in Timeline
Cori Bush is an American politician, nurse, pastor, and Black Lives Matter activist. She served as the U.S. representative for Missouri's 1st congressional district from 2021 to 2025, representing the city of St. Louis and most of northern St. Louis County.
1911: Democratic Hands since 1911
The district and its predecessors have been in Democratic hands without interruption since 1911.
1968: Clay Family won seat
In 1968, Bill Clay, won the seat in U.S. House of Representatives.
July 21, 1976: Cori Bush Born
On July 21, 1976, Cori Anika Bush was born. She later became a politician, nurse, pastor, and Black Lives Matter activist.
1994: Graduation and Personal Challenges
In 1994, Cori Bush graduated from Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School and became pregnant after being raped, leading to an abortion.
1995: University Studies Begin
In 1995, Cori Bush began studying at Harris–Stowe State University.
2001: Preschool Work Ends
In 2001, Cori Bush stopped working at a preschool.
2001: Lived in Ford Explorer
In 2001, Cori Bush, her husband at the time, and young children lived in their Ford Explorer for about three months after being evicted from a rental home.
2008: Nursing Diploma
In 2008, Cori Bush earned a Diploma in Nursing from the Lutheran School of Nursing.
2011: Established Kingdom Embassy International Church
In 2011, Cori Bush established the Kingdom Embassy International Church in St. Louis, Missouri.
2014: Ferguson Unrest Activism
In 2014, Cori Bush became a political activist during the Ferguson unrest, working as a triage nurse and organizer.
2016: Senate Election Loss
In 2016, Cori Bush ran unsuccessfully in the U.S. Senate election in Missouri.
2017: Advocated Federal Transit Administration Climate Relief Fund
In 2017, Cori Bush advocated for the Federal Transit Administration Climate Relief Fund.
2018: Primary Campaign Against Lacy Clay
In 2018, Cori Bush launched a primary campaign against incumbent Democratic representative Lacy Clay in Missouri's 1st congressional district.
2018: Unsuccessful Primary Run
In 2018, Cori Bush ran unsuccessfully in the Democratic primary for Missouri's 1st congressional district.
2019: Featured in "Knock Down the House"
In 2019, Cori Bush was featured in the Netflix documentary film "Knock Down the House", which covered her first primary challenge to Lacy Clay.
July 2020: Accusations related march
In July 2020, Bush was accused of calling for violence against a couple involved in a controversial march.
2020: U.S. Presidential Election
Donald Trump loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 election
2020: Advocated Federal Transit Administration Climate Relief Fund
In 2020, Cori Bush advocated for the Federal Transit Administration Climate Relief Fund.
2020: Defeated Lacy Clay in Primary Election
In 2020, Cori Bush defeated 10-term incumbent Lacy Clay in the U.S. House of Representatives primary election.
2020: Endorsements for Election
In 2020, Cori Bush received endorsements from progressive organizations and individuals for her election campaign.
January 6, 2021: Resolution to Remove Republicans
On January 6, 2021, Cori Bush introduced a resolution to remove Republicans who supported attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election from the House of Representatives.
May 2021: Testified on Black Maternal Health
In May 2021, Cori Bush testified to the House Oversight and Reform Committee about racial disparities in maternal healthcare and her personal experience during her first pregnancy.
August 5, 2021: Defended Spending on Personal Security
On August 5, 2021, Cori Bush defended spending on personal security while advocating for defunding the police.
August 2021: Fought to Extend Eviction Moratorium
In August 2021, Cori Bush took a leading role in fighting to extend the CARES Act's eviction moratorium, even sleeping on the steps of the U.S. Capitol.
September 2021: Voted Against Funding Israel's Iron Dome
In September 2021, Cori Bush was one of eight Democrats to vote against the funding of Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system.
November 5, 2021: Voted Against Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
On November 5, 2021, Cori Bush was one of six House Democrats to break with their party and vote against the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
2021: Advocated Federal Transit Administration Climate Relief Fund
In 2021, Cori Bush advocated for the Federal Transit Administration Climate Relief Fund.
July 2022: Voting Alignment with Biden
As of July 2022, Cori Bush had voted in line with Joe Biden's stated position 93.0% of the time.
2022: Re-election campaign
In 2022, Bush ran for reelection to the seat and won the Democratic primary with almost 70% of the vote.
2022: Advocated Federal Transit Administration Climate Relief Fund
In 2022, Cori Bush advocated for the Federal Transit Administration Climate Relief Fund.
2022: Secured Community Project Funding
In 2022, Cori Bush secured $750,000 in Community Project Funding for expansions to Urban League facilities and funding for other service organizations.
February 2023: Married Cortney Merritts
In February 2023, Cori Bush married Cortney Merritts, a security specialist and U.S. Army veteran.
July 18, 2023: Voted Against Resolution on Israel
On July 18, 2023, Cori Bush was one of nine progressive Democrats to vote against a congressional resolution stating that "the State of Israel is not a racist or apartheid state".
October 2023: Condemned Hamas's attack
2023: Challenged for her stance on Israel
Following Cori Bush's introduction of a ceasefire resolution in 2023, St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell announced his candidacy against her for the following election.
2023: Voted Against Fiscal Responsibility Act
In 2023, Cori Bush was among the 46 Democrats who voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act in the House.
August 6, 2024: Lost Democratic Primary
On August 6, 2024, Cori Bush lost the Democratic primary to Wesley Bell.
August 2024: Lost Democratic Nomination
In August 2024, Cori Bush lost the Democratic nomination for her seat to Wesley Bell in a primary race that received significant attention.
2024: Secured Federal Earmarks
For the 2024 fiscal year, Cori Bush secured over $13 million in federal earmarks to fund projects in the St. Louis area.
