Cori Bush

Cori Anika Bush (born July 21, 1976) is an American politician, nurse, pastor, and Black Lives Matter activist. She currently serves as the U.S. representative for Missouri's 1st congressional district, a position she has held since 2021. The district encompasses the city of St. Louis and parts of northern St. Louis County. A member of the Democratic Party, Bush made history by defeating 10-term incumbent Lacy Clay in the 2020 U.S. House of Representatives primary election. She became the first African-American woman to represent Missouri in the U.S. House of Representatives. Before her successful campaign, Bush also ran for the same congressional district in 2018 and participated in the 2016 U.S. Senate election in Missouri. She gained further recognition through her appearance in the 2019 Netflix documentary Knock Down the House. Within the House of Representatives, Bush is part of The Squad, a group of progressive congresswomen.