Cori Bush

Cori Bush

Democratic

Cori Bush is a former U.S. representative from Missouri’s 1st Congressional District and a former nurse, pastor, and activist. She is running again in 2026 to reclaim the St. Louis-area seat, with a campaign focused on lowering costs, public health, reproductive freedom, democracy, and justice in Palestine.

Positions on Key Issues

Economy

high

Cori Bush says she wants to lower costs for everyday people and build an economy that works for all, with a focus on securing funding for the St. Louis community and opposing corporate greed. Her campaign frames affordability as a central issue, including housing, groceries, insurance, and utility bills.

Education

medium

Cori Bush has not published a detailed standalone education platform on her campaign site, but her campaign says it supports expanding opportunities and lowering costs for families. Public reporting and her prior congressional record show support for federal investments in schools and students.

Healthcare

high

Cori Bush says she wants to invest in public health and has previously backed Medicare for All. Her campaign materials emphasize making health care more affordable and protecting public health.

Tech & AI

low

No public position found on a detailed tech or AI platform. Her campaign materials reviewed do not list technology or artificial intelligence as a standalone policy area.

Foreign Policy

high

Cori Bush’s campaign says she supports justice in Palestine and has criticized unconditional U.S. support for Israeli government policy. Her foreign-policy messaging centers on humanitarian concerns in Gaza and Palestinian rights.

Firearms & Second Amendment

high

Cori Bush has supported stricter gun-safety measures, including universal background checks, red flag laws, and an assault-weapons ban. She has framed gun violence as a public health issue and backed closing loopholes in firearm laws.

Civil Rights & Equality

high

Cori Bush’s campaign emphasizes civil rights, racial justice, economic justice, and defending democracy. Her messaging centers on building a system that works for everyday people and protecting underserved communities.

Election Policy

medium

Cori Bush says she wants to defend democracy and fight fascism, which aligns with broader voting-rights and election-access messaging. Her campaign materials do not provide a detailed election-reform proposal on the pages reviewed.

Local Issues

high

Cori Bush’s local message for St. Louis focuses on lowering household costs, investing in public health, building safer communities, and securing federal funding for the district. Her campaign frames these as the main priorities for the St. Louis area.

Abortion & Reproductive Health

high

Cori Bush says she supports protecting reproductive freedom. Her campaign lists reproductive freedom as one of its core priorities, and she has publicly aligned with abortion-rights advocacy.

Climate/Energy

medium

Cori Bush’s current campaign site does not publish a standalone climate or energy platform. Her prior congressional record included support for climate-focused legislation such as the Green New Deal, but the 2026 campaign materials reviewed emphasize affordability, public health, democracy, reproductive freedom, and Palestine instead.

Immigration

medium

Cori Bush’s current campaign materials do not publish a standalone immigration platform. Her prior congressional record includes immigration-related votes and positions, but the 2026 campaign pages reviewed focus on affordability, public health, democracy, reproductive freedom, and Palestine rather than a detailed immigration agenda.

Background

Career History

U.S. Representative 2021 – 2025
U.S. House of Representatives

Represented Missouri’s 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House.

Nurse
Healthcare sector

Worked as a nurse before entering electoral politics.

Pastor
Church ministry

Describes herself as a pastor.

Activist
Community and protest movements

Became known for activism before and during her congressional career.

Top Donors

Cori Bush’s public fundraising picture is best understood in two parts: her 2023–2024 congressional campaign committee and her 2025 committee activity. OpenSecrets lists her 2023–2024 profile with $3,931,524 raised and top contributors including Shammas Properties, BJC HealthCare, Busboys & Poets, Washington University in St. Louis, and SEIU; her FEC committee page shows $7,376.63 in receipts for 2025 so far.

View full campaign finance data →

Voting Record

Cori Bush served in the U.S. House from 2021 through 2025, so she has a legislative voting record. Congress.gov and Vote Smart provide roll-call and key-vote references for her House tenure, including votes on labor, civil rights, spending, and other major legislation.

View full voting record →

Data Analysis Information

Data compiled from public sources and analyzed using AI. Last updated 4/6/2026. Visit candidate websites for the most current information.

© 2026 Smarter.vote. Analyzing public information to help voters make informed decisions.

Always verify information by visiting candidate websites directly. This tool provides analysis for informational purposes only.