ST. LOUIS, Missouri — Former Missouri state legislator Maria Chappelle-Nadal on Tuesday said she is jumping into the Democratic primary contest to run for Congress in the state's First Congressional District.
U.S. Rep. Cori Bush (D-St. Louis) holds the seat now. She also faces a well-funded challenge from St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell.
The University City Democrat launched a new campaign website on Tuesday afternoon. The first draft of the site included scant information about her campaign but asked for donations.
"I've spent the last 20 years of my life serving the working people of St. Louis, fighting for our planet and standing up for our freedoms," she wrote in the announcement. "That's what I'll continue to do in Congress."
She was recently awarded a $77,000 settlement in an employment dispute with St. Louis County Councilwoman Rita Heard Days.
Heard-Days said she dismissed Chappelle-Nadal for posting inflammatory political statements on social media, including comments that were critical of Bell.
Chappelle-Nadal's entry into the race could pose significant headaches for Bell, considering her vocal criticism of how his office handled a case of a suspected shooter who was later linked to the shooting death of Chappelle-Nadal's niece.
St. Louis County prosecutors dropped first-degree murder charges against the suspected shooter on Sept. 20, 2021, when an essential witness did not comply with a subpoena from Bell's office and failed to appear in court.
One month later, Chappelle-Nadal's niece, Isis Mahr, was shot and killed. The St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office later brought charges against the same suspect. A separate witness in that shooting death was later killed, resulting in charges being dropped again.
"I blame Wesley (Bell) for that," Chappelle-Nadal said during in a recent interview, "because Wesley has a history of failures to prosecute. Unfortunately, judges are not able to speak on cases, and so Wesley can say almost anything. So some of his excuses are 'there were no witnesses that would testify.'"
Neither Bell's government office nor his political campaign have responded to requests for comment on Chappelle-Nadal's announcement.
The primary election is scheduled for Aug. 6, 2024. Candidates can begin filing paperwork to appear on the ballot later this month.