Missouri voters elect Cori Bush, first Black woman to Congress

Cori Bush, a community activist who gained prominence for her involvement in the Black Lives Matter movement, became the first Black woman elected to Congress from Missouri.

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Bush beat Republican challenger Anthony Rogers 79% to 19% to win the 1st congressional district seat, which represents St. Louis and portions of St. Louis County, CNN reported.

“Shirley Chisholm became the first Black woman elected to Congress 52 years ago,” Bush said on social media. “Today, I became the first Black woman elected to represent Missouri in Congress. It’s 2020. I shouldn’t be the first, but I am honored to carry this responsibility.”

Bush, a single mother, nurse and pastor, started organizing protests in 2014 in the wake of the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson.

“Mike Brown was murdered 2,278 days ago,” Bush said on social media. “We took to the streets for more than 400 days in protest. Today, we take this fight for Black Lives from the streets of Ferguson to the halls of Congress. We will get justice.”

She ran on a progressive platform that includes criminal justice reform, universal Medicare and a $15 federal minimum wage, Variety reported. Bush was also featured in the Netflix documentary “Knock Down The House.”

“To all the counted outs, the forgotten abouts, the marginalized, and the pushed asides. This is our moment,” Bush said on social media. “We came together to end a 52-year family dynasty. That’s how we build the political revolution.”

Cox Media Group