“I was maced and beaten by those same police officers in those same streets,” she said. “Six months from now, as the first Black congresswoman in the entire history of Missouri, I will be holding every single one of them accountable.”
She added: “If you didn’t understand what happened, what was birthed right here in St. Louis, Missouri, in St. Louis County, in Ferguson, we’re about to show you.”
Amid a worsening health and economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Ms. Bush pushed drastic changes to the nation’s criminal justice system, including defunding and dismantling police departments; called for Medicare for all, a $15 minimum wage and a universal basic income; and swore off corporate campaign contributions.
But as the campaign wore on, she also began sharpening her attacks against Mr. Clay directly, accusing him of “failed leadership” after two decades in office. She noted that he was largely absent from the protests and questioned his commitment to fighting for voters in a city troubled by segregation and economic stagnation.
“He’s had 20 years to make a change, not only in St. Louis but across this country,” Ms. Bush said on Saturday. “He waits until something is popular to stand up for it, or he waits until there is pressure. I do it just because that is the need.”
The message ultimately resonated with voters, many of whom had never before voted for a congressman not named Clay. William Lacy Clay Sr., a local civil rights figure, entered Congress in 1969 and handed the seat to his son when he retired in 2001.
While Mr. Clay narrowly carried the portions of the district in suburban St. Louis County, Ms. Bush won a commanding victory in the city of St. Louis.
Source Article from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/05/us/politics/cori-bush-missouri-william-lacy-clay.html
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