Democrat Cori Bush, a nurse by professional and a Black Lives Matter (BLM) activist, created history on Tuesday after she became the first black woman from Missouri ever to be elected to Congress. Cori Bush, who in all likelihood will now become the fifth member of 'The Squad,' garnered a staggering 84 percent vote in the state's 1st Congressional District.
Bush's victory in Missouri may not come as a surprise anymore as her contest with Republican Anthony Rogers and Libertarian Alex Furman was never in doubt but her win definitely will remain one of the highlights of the 2020 US Election. The biggest reason behind that is Bush till a few years back never aspired to get into politics. However, destiny had different plans in store.
Big Night for Bush
The win definitely was one of the greatest moments in Bush's life. Unlike her August primary contest against longtime 1st District incumbent Lacy Clay, Bush's general election win was almost assured. "This is definitely a night to remember," Bush told her supporters during her acceptance speech.
The win also marks the end of Bush's four-year-long effort to be elected to the office. Bush had long been part of the BLM movement and had even gained a lot of notoriety as an activist after Michael Brown's shooting death in Ferguson. But she too had her set of supporters.
Her win was immediately welcomed on Twitter by progressives who have championed her campaign. "It's official. The first-ever recruited Justice Democrat candidate @CoriBush is going to Congress. Six years ago police officers maced Cori in Ferguson as she helped spark a global movement," the political action committee Justice Democrats tweeted.
The Rise of Bush
Bush had the last laugh but it came after a four-year struggle. She engaged in a campaign for the US Senate in 2016 against Democrat Jason Kander but sadly lost. In 2018, her campaign against Clay gained attention after she received the backing of US Republican-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York but she again lost.
But this time the story changed. In fact, her win is being helmed as a big moment in this year's election as Bush never really has plans of joining politics. Bush got involved with the Black Lives Matter movement in 2014, when Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, was shot and killed by a white police officer in Ferguson.
After witnessing the police brutality against BLM protestors, Bush was inspired to run for office. Since then she has been actively part of protests related to police brutality including those of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
