ST. LOUIS, Missouri — Wesley Bell, the new Democratic nominee to represent Missouri's First Congressional District, told his supporters at his Tuesday night acceptance speech that the race was particularly "nasty."
Pro-Jewish political action groups raised millions of dollars to boost Bell's image or to highlight incumbent Congresswoman Cori Bush's negative traits. Some of Bush's supporters specifically blamed Jewish-American political donors for her loss.
Below is a transcript from parts of Wesley Bell's interview on 'The Record:'
Political Editor Mark Maxwell: "A lot of that noise came from young liberal progressives, many of whom smeared you as a "plant." They called you a "puppet," someone who they felt could not speak for himself on big issues like abortion because they thought that pro-Jewish groups controlled you with their money. Do you feel that any of your critics at any time in this race crossed the line from just scrutinizing outside money, campaign finance, into racism or anti-Semitism?
St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell: "You know, there were things that were said that absolutely crossed the line. And, you know, I'm from Missouri. I'm an African American man, and Missouri has had its issues of racism and things of that nature and in our history, and I've never been called anything like some of the things that that I was called during the election."
Maxwell: Could you have won this race without support from AIPAC?
Bell: I believe we would have won this election regardless.
Maxwell: In your acceptance speech, you said this: "We don't want to see one innocent person harmed anywhere in the world, but we are going to stand with our fellow democracies around the world." My question to you is: How long are you willing to stand with our fellow democracies like Israel, if they continue to harm innocent people?
Bell: Well, I think that that's a loaded question, and I think it's missing what's happening on the ground there. There's a terror state. Hamas is in no uncertain terms, a terror state. Their goal, which is stated in their charter, is the destruction of Israel. When we hear chants of death to Israel, they are often followed by Death to America.
Maxwell: But you don't conflate those with innocent people.
Bell: Hold on. Let me be clear. Let me be clear. That's where I'm getting to that point. So when we want... So what is getting in the way of a lasting peace process is Hamas, because Israelis do not... Israelis, Palestinians, by and large, want to live peaceful lives. They care about their families. But you have these terror states, these terror networks, who have no desire to see peace in that region. And that is the biggest encumbrance to a lasting peace resolution, and that's something that has to be addressed.
Maxwell: Addressed...?
Bell: So yes, I think that World War II has taught us that we have to stand by our fellow democracies. And we are in the Ukraine and Israel, but we do want to make certain that no innocent Israelis or no innocent Palestinian. Absolutely.
Maxwell: I want to make sure I'm hearing you clearly. Do I hear you saying there that at this juncture, the only option is a military option?
Bell: Well, I didn't say that at all. I mean, I think it's that's a very complicated...
Maxwell: You said you had to address Hamas, which is a terrorist state...
Bell: Well yeah, you have to address Hamas.
Maxwell: How do you do that without a military option?
Bell: Well, with Hamas, I don't know if there are many options other than the military option, because Hamas can end this war tomorrow. If Hamas freed the hostages and left the region as a ceasefire agreement was on the table just like that, and that was months ago, this war would end immediately. But this organization has no interest in a peaceful resolution, and I think we have to be clear-eyed on that.