The Winner

If you live in Missouri’s 1st Congressional District, Rep. Wesley Bell (D-MO) will keep representing you after winning a second term. The Associated Press called the race for Bell at 7:37 p.m. Central time on election night, Tuesday, Nov. 3. ​

Bell has 189,175 votes (81.5%) to 32,362 (13.9%) for Republican Paul Berry III), a margin of about 68 points, with an estimated 99% of votes counted, according to Associated Press election results. Libertarian Tom Schmitz has 4.6%, and Bell returns to a House where Democrats will hold the majority.

The Race

Bell beat former Rep. Cori Bush (D) 59.2% to 36.9% in the Aug. 4 Democratic primary, a rematch of their 2024 contest, while Berry beat Andrew Jones Jr. 53.4% to 46.6% for the Republican nomination, according to Ballotpedia’s race page. Berry, a former Democrat, has also run unsuccessfully for St. Louis County executive and lieutenant governor. Cook Political Report and Inside Elections rated the race Solid Democratic, and Sabato’s Crystal Ball rated it Safe Democratic.

Bell’s share grew from 2024, when he won the open seat with 75.9% against Jones, according to Ballotpedia’s 2024 race results. Both elections were held under the same district lines.

The primaries ran under a new map Republican lawmakers passed in 2025, but the Missouri Supreme Court ruled the general election had to use the 2022 lines, and voters rejected the 2025 map through Proposition A on Nov. 3, according to St. Louis Public Radio. Under the 2022 lines, the district covers the city of St. Louis and much of north St. Louis County.

About 752,700 people live there, and residents are 45.6% Black and 41.9% white. The median household income is $61,100, and the median age is 37. Of adults, 38% hold at least a bachelor’s degree, unemployment is 5.6% and 17% of residents live below the poverty line.

What’s Next

Bell’s new term begins Sunday, Jan. 3. He serves on the House Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, and Oversight and Government Reform committees, according to his AllCiv committee profile, all of which Democrats will chair in the new Congress.

In a September interview with St. Louis Public Radio, Bell said federal disaster recovery money for St. Louis, hit by a deadly tornado in May 2025, would be “an absolute priority” if Democrats won the House. He has bundled three of his bills into a package that would fund tornado detection for cities, help communities check whether they qualify for disaster recovery grants and require clearer reporting on FEMA disaster spending.

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