Wesley Bell

Wesley Bell is a Democratic politician representing Missouri's 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, having been first elected in 2024. Prior to his election to Congress, he served as the Prosecuting Attorney for St. Louis County from 2019 to 2024. He gained significant national attention in 2018 when he won a primary victory over a 28-year incumbent on a platform of criminal justice reform following the Ferguson protests, becoming the first Black person to serve as the county's top prosecutor. Born and raised in St. Louis, Bell earned a bachelor's degree from Lindenwood University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law. His early career included work as a public defender, a municipal judge, and a criminology professor. In 2015, he was elected to the Ferguson City Council, where he helped negotiate a consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice to overhaul the city's police and municipal court systems. As a prosecutor, Bell implemented various reforms such as the creation of a conviction reliability unit and the expansion of diversion programs for non-violent offenders. In the U.S. House, he has been appointed to committees including Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, and Oversight and Accountability, where he continues to advocate for public safety, economic development, and international cooperation.

Bell's publicly stated positions emphasize comprehensive criminal justice reform, including alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenders, ending cash bail, and increasing law enforcement transparency. He advocates for the protection and expansion of the Affordable Care Act, lowering prescription drug prices, and codifying federal protections for reproductive healthcare and abortion access. His economic agenda focuses on raising the federal minimum wage, supporting labor unions, and securing federal investment for urban infrastructure and affordable housing. In foreign policy, Bell is a vocal supporter of the U.S.-Israel partnership and continued military assistance to Ukraine. He also supports an immigration system described as secure, fair, and humane, alongside federal action to combat climate change and transition the national energy grid toward renewable sources.