Missouri Senate Race Heats Up with Multiple Candidates Announcing Bids

Wesley Bell, the St. Louis County prosecuting attorney, has announced his bid for the Democratic nomination in Missouri to challenge GOP Sen. Josh Hawley in the 2024 general election. Bell, who defeated a long-time incumbent in a 2018 primary, is emphasizing his work quelling tensions between the police and protesters in Ferguson, Mo., and becoming the first Black prosecuting attorney in St. Louis County. Although Missouri is essentially red now, with former President Donald Trump winning the state by 15 points in 2020, Democrats see it as one of their top three opportunities, along with Florida and Texas, in a map that has them almost entirely on defense.