Wesley Bell

Bell grew up in North St. Louis County. He earned a bachelor's degree from Lindenwood University and a law degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia. His career experience included working as a public defender.[1][2] He was elected to serve as St. Louis prosecuting attorney in 2018.[3]

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Campaign websiteBell's campaign website stated the following:ON THE ISSUES Wesley Bell stands for bold, progressive change that puts people first. Here’s where he stands on the issues that matter most to Missouri families. DELIVERING FOR ST. LOUIS Progressives should actually make progress. It's not enough to talk about solutions, you must find a way to deliver them. St. Louis is a sleeping giant primed to grow and expand. Wesley's job is to show up every day, and bring real results home to Missouri’s First District.Bringing Federal Resources Home to St. Louis.Missouri’s First District deserves a fighter in Washington who knows how to deliver results. Despite Republicans controlling both chambers in Congress and the White House, he secured over $12.3 million in federal funding for critical infrastructure, public safety, workforce development, and neighborhood revitalization across St. Louis City and North County. Wesley continues to fight every day to make sure our district has the resources it needs to grow and thrive.Making Housing More Affordable.Every family in St. Louis deserves a safe and affordable home. However, too many families are being priced out of homeownership or struggling to afford rent, and Wesley is doing something about it. He secured nearly $7 million in federal housing grants to the district to increase housing supply and lower costs for renters and homebuyers, and he will keep fighting until housing in St. Louis is within reach for working families.Modernizing Lambert Airport.St. Louis should be one of America's premier transportation hubs, and it’s imperative that our flagship airport matches the growth that this district deserves. Wesley helped bring home millions of dollars in federal support to modernize St. Louis Lambert International Airport. These upgrades will keep flights on schedule, grow our economy, protect our environment, and better connect our great city and state to the rest of the country and the world.Delivering Justice for Coldwater Creek Families.For decades, families in North St. Louis County suffered cancers and illness from radioactive contamination linked to the federal government's own actions. Wesley fought to expand the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to finally deliver the compensation and health care that all affected families deserve, and he'll keep pushing until every eligible family gets what they're owed.Supporting St. Louis After the 2025 Tornadoes.When devastating tornadoes destroyed over 5,000 structures in our community, Wesley pressed for a federal disaster declaration and fought to make sure families got the housing assistance, health care, and rebuilding support they urgently needed. While there’s more work to do, these resources are already helping our region recover stronger and faster.AFFORDABILITY & COST OF LIVING People in Missouri’s First District are working harder than ever and still falling behind. If you work hard and play by the rules, you should be able to afford a decent life. In Congress, he's fighting every day to make that a reality for families in St. Louis. Lowering Energy Costs.Every family deserves to keep the lights on and the heat running without having to choose between that and putting food on the table. Utility bills have skyrocketed in recent years, and Trump's energy policies are making things worse. Wesley has pushed for federal relief to help households manage rising energy costs and opposed Republican policies that have driven those costs higher.Bringing Down Grocery Prices.No family should have to worry about whether they can afford to eat. The cost of feeding a family has skyrocketed, and Washington has to be part of the solution — not make it worse by cutting food assistance programs. Wesley has fought against Republican budget cuts to food assistance and pushed for policies that crack down on price gouging and put money back in the pockets of working families.Lowering Prescription Drug Costs. No one should have to ration their medication or skip a doctor's visit because they can't afford it. Drug companies are making record profits while families in MO-01 struggle to afford the medications they need to survive. Wesley has been a consistent voice for capping drug prices, taking on Big Pharma, and ensuring that life-saving medications are affordable for every family in St. Louis. Making Higher Education Affordable.Everyone who works hard should have access to an education without being saddled with a lifetime of debt. The rising cost of college and vocational training is putting opportunity out of reach for too many families, and the Trump administration is making it worse. Wesley supports expanding access to affordable higher education, including four-year universities, community colleges, and trade programs, and will keep fighting to make sure cost is never a barrier to opportunity for St. Louisans.STANDING UP TO TRUMP Government should work for everyone, not just those at the top. But Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans are slashing health care and food assistance programs, and giving even more tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations. Trump used ICE as his own unaccountable paramilitary to terrorize immigrants and separate families. And when Congress passed bipartisan legislation to release files exposing Jeffrey Epstein's criminal network, this administration fought transparency every step of the way. In Congress, Wesley Bell is standing up to this reckless and dangerous administration at every step.Defunding and Dismantling ICE.Immigrants are our neighbors, our coworkers, and part of the fabric of St. Louis, and they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Donald Trump unleashed ICE to terrorize immigrant communities, harass people, and separate families. They shot and killed American citizens who were exercising their First Amendment rights to peaceably assemble. This agency cannot continue to function. Wesley believes ICE needs to be stripped for parts, and ICE agents who broke the law need to be fully prosecuted. In Congress, he has voted several times to defund ICE, and introduced legislation to stop taxpayer dollars from funding ICE propaganda. Fighting Government Corruption.The Trump administration is the most corrupt in American history. From the president on down, barely a day goes by without a new abuse of power, conflict of interest, or attempt to use the federal government to reward allies and punish enemies. As a member of the House Oversight Committee, Wesley has pushed for transparency at every turn, fighting to make sure government works for us, not the other way around.Preserving Medicaid.Everyone deserves access to quality health care, regardless of their income or ZIP code. Trump's One Big Ugly Bill slashed $800 billion from Medicaid, effectively stripping coverage from thousands of Missourians, forcing hospitals to close, and leaving families driving hours for basic care — all to pay for tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans that they don’t need. Wesley voted against gutting Medicaid, and has been one of the loudest voices in Congress demanding that these dangerous cuts be reversed. Fighting for Affordable Health Care.No family should have to choose between keeping their health insurance and paying their bills. But MAGA Republicans let Affordable Care Act subsidies expire, causing premiums to jump as much as 75% for working families in MO-01, and resulting in a devastating blow to people who are already stretched thin. Wesley has fought at every turn to extend these subsidies and keep health care affordable for the people of St. Louis.Protecting Voting Rights and Democracy.Every eligible American should have the right to vote and have their voice heard. But since Day One, Trump and his allies have been illegally gerrymandering districts, rolling back voter protections, and assaulting our very system of democracy. Wesley strongly supports making the John Lewis Voting Rights Act into law in order to fully fight back against voter suppression, protect the rights of all voters, and ensure fair and equitable access to the ballot box. As John Lewis once said: “Some of us gave a little blood for the right to participate in the democratic process.”Releasing the Epstein Files.The American people deserve to know the truth about who was connected to Jeffrey Epstein's crimes. When Congress passed bipartisan legislation requiring the full release of the Epstein files, the Trump administration dragged its feet and fought transparency at every turn. Wesley signed the discharge petition that forced the vote, helped get the law passed, and has continued demanding the administration fully comply with what the law requires.Strengthening America’s Standing in the World.America is strongest when we lead with diplomacy, stand by our allies, and show the world the power of a vibrant democracy. But Trump has spent his time in office doing the opposite: insulting and threatening our closest allies like Canada and Denmark, gutting foreign aid that was saving lives and preventing diseases, and stumbling into conflicts that the American people never asked for and don't want. Wesley believes war should always be a last resort, not a first option. He will fight to restore America's credibility on the world stage, strengthen our alliances and expand trade, while keeping our country safe and our partners close.BUILDING A BRIGHTER AND SAFER, AND HEALTHIER FUTURE Making real progress means building a St. Louis where everyone, regardless of who they are or where they come from, can live with dignity, safety, and opportunity. These are the fights that define what kind of community we want to be. Protecting Abortion Rights. The decision to have an abortion should be between a woman and her doctor, not the government or politicians. Missouri has one of the most extreme abortion bans in the country, with no exceptions for rape or incest. Meanwhile, the Trump administration continues to roll back reproductive rights, putting women as well as their families in danger. After Roe v. Wade was struck down, Wesley was one of the first prosecutors in the country to pledge not to prosecute those who seek or provide abortions. Wesley supports codifying abortion rights at the federal level, so that everyone, regardless of what state they live in, can access necessary and life-saving health care.Fighting for LGBTQ+ Equality. Every person deserves to live, work, and go to school without fear of discrimination or harm. But our LGBTQ+ neighbors, including the transgender community, are facing relentless attacks and discrimination from Trump and MAGA Republicans, who are rolling back federal protections and emboldening those who want to write discrimination into law. Wesley will always fight to ensure everyone is treated with the dignity and respect they deserve, and that they have access to medical care, shelter, safety, and security. That’s why he helped introduce federal legislation to develop and implement a Transgender Bill of Rights.Reforming Our Criminal Justice System. Real public safety means addressing the root causes of crime. As Prosecuting Attorney in the largest county in Missouri, Wesley overhauled how the office approached public safety: he created a Community Outreach Division to build trust between residents and law enforcement, hired social workers to address mental health and behavioral issues, and diverted over 2,500 non-violent offenders struggling with addiction and mental illness into treatment programs, with a 96% success rate. He built a Violence Reduction Strategy, launched a restorative justice center, and worked alongside 55 police departments to make St. Louis County safer for everyone. In Congress, Wesley has continued that work, introducing major reforms to the pretrial detention system, launching the Congressional Diversion and Rehabilitation Caucus, and fighting for a justice system that prioritizes prevention and rehabilitation over punishment. Preventing Gun Violence. Gun violence is the leading cause of death of children in the United States, and for too long Washington has failed to act. Wesley is fighting for commonsense reforms, like universal background checks, red flag laws, and keeping weapons of war off our streets. In Congress, Wesley has championed gun buyback programs, helping cities like St. Louis protect neighbors and communities before gun violence strikes. As a member of the Congressional Gun VIolence Prevention Task Force, he is making sure Washington is listening to families here in St. Louis asking for change.Delivering Environmental Justice. Climate change is a crisis, and here in Missouri, the effects are already making an impact on our way of life and the safety of our most vulnerable communities, from extreme weather events to deteriorating air and water quality. Wesley believes that confronting the climate crisis and growing our economy are not in conflict. The transition to clean energy should create good-paying union jobs right here in the First District. He has fought to protect clean air and water standards, hold polluters accountable, and ensure that the federal government lives up to its obligations to communities like those along Coldwater Creek and the Westlake Landfill that have suffered from decades of environmental neglect and contamination.— Wesley Bell's campaign website (June 21, 2026)Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

Wesley Bell did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Bell’s campaign website stated the following:

Issues

Delivering for CD-01

My first priority will always be to hear and raise the voices of people in our community—getting tangible results for our district and providing steady and effective representation for the St. Louis region. St. Louis is a sleeping giant primed to grow and expand. We need leadership in Washington that understands the value of legislation like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and what it provides for our community. I am committed to supporting policy that brings resources back home to our district and I will work on a bipartisan basis—and with President Biden—to get this done.

Common Sense Gun Reform and Public Safety

As a responsible gun owner, I support common sense gun safety laws. It is critical that we pass these laws in order to improve public safety. Gun violence is the single most preventable issue that our country is facing. As the Prosecuting Attorney in the largest county in the state, I see first-hand how gun violence tears apart our communities. During my time in office, I have made significant changes to improve public safety and address gun violence in St. Louis County. Our Gun Violence Reduction Task Force, Chiefs Advisory Committee, and expansion of ShotSpotter technology have helped address underlying issues that lead to crime. We have worked tirelessly with our partners within 55 police departments to improve public safety.

Accomplishments in office:

Created a Community Outreach Division that works with residents to build relationships and address underlying issues that lead to crime

Diverted over 2,500 non-violent offenders from jail into programs, who were struggling with mental health issues and substance abuse disorders with a success rate of 96%

Hired social workers to focus on social and behavioral issues that lawyers aren’t trained to address in an effort to foster equity and safety

Implemented a Violence Reduction Strategy that focuses on evidence-based approaches to reduce crime. Highlights include a violent crimes unit dedicated to domestic violence and an auto theft task force

Investing in community programs that provide opportunities for youth and other at-risk individuals

Worked with community partners to create a restorative justice center in St. Louis County

Choice

Every person deserves the freedom to make their own healthcare decisions without government mandates or political interference. The sad reality in Missouri is that women do not have access to abortion at all, including in cases of rape and incest. Across the country, right-wing extremists—in legislatures and in courts—are restricting or banning access to reproductive care as they push for a federal ban. In 2022, I was one of the first county prosecutors in the country to sign a letter vowing not to prosecute those who seek or perform abortions. I will always fight for women’s rights to access safe and legal reproductive health care, including abortion and birth control. I will support federal legislation to codify the central components of Roe v. Wade into law to protect a woman's fundamental right to reproductive freedom.

Foreign Policy

Our steadfast relationships with global allies are essential to our national security and prosperity. These relationships help promote peace and stability in the world. We must continue to work with our allies to address shared challenges, such as climate change and terrorism, and be willing to stand up for our values. By working together, we can build a more secure and prosperous world for all. Right now, democracies across the globe are under attack. Ukraine continues to resist the illegal invasion of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. Israel—the only democracy and strongest American ally in the Middle East—was attacked by terrorists on October 7. I believe Israel has the right to defend itself and go after those who perpetrated those attacks. In Congress, I’ll fight to make sure the United States remains Israel’s strongest ally.

Environmental Justice

Climate change is a crisis, and we need to be doing more to address it. Everyone should live in a clean and healthy environment regardless of their race, income, or ZIP code. Here in Missouri, the effects of climate change are already making an impact on our way of life and the safety of vulnerable communities. As Prosecuting Attorney, I have always made an effort to meet with advocacy groups so I can learn more about the issues facing our region. I will continue to work with these groups to ensure the removal and cleanup of radioactive waste near Westlake Landfill and along Coldwater Creek in North St. Louis County. We must work together to combat climate change in a way that grows the economy and creates jobs at the same time.

Healthcare

Everyone should be able to have access to quality, affordable health care. No one should lose their home due to medical bills, or be forced to choose between paying for groceries or paying for their prescriptions. I know firsthand how challenging this issue is. When I owned a small business, a health matter set me back. I was unable to work for a period of time, and without access to great providers, I would not have been able to navigate recovery and keep my job. We must do more to strengthen and expand healthcare coverage, lower costs, expand access to insurance, and make it easier to hire the best doctors and nurses.

Protecting our Democracy and Safeguarding Voting Rights

I am running for office because I love our country and what it stands for. Although it is far from perfect, the system of democracy we have is one that needs to be protected and upheld to make sure that every vote is counted and every voice is heard. What happened on January 6 was wrong. What our former president did to tear down our election system and manipulate election results was wrong. I will be standing strong to ensure that these kinds of things do not happen again.

I am committed to removing unnecessarily restrictive barriers that stand between voters and the ballot box. I will work to increase voter registration and education so that all Americans can exercise this fundamental right. On this issue, I am reminded of the words of the great civil rights pioneer and icon John Lewis: "Some of us gave a little blood for the right to participate in the democratic process." We must keep working to honor his legacy and commitment to democracy. At a time when our fundamental rights and freedoms are under attack, I'm ready to continue the fight for voting rights because our democracy is only as strong as those who participate in it.

Education

Every student deserves to have a world-class public education, regardless of their ZIP code or their family’s income. As a former educator, I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t work when it comes to reforming our education system. Students graduating high school should know about all of the educational and career paths in front of them. That includes four-year colleges, community colleges, trade schools, and apprenticeship programs. And I support the Biden-Harris Administration’s initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

LGBTQ+

Every person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, and has the right to go to school, work, church or a public event without fear of discrimination or harm. Everyone should have the right to marry the person they love, and build their own families in safe communities. And every child has the right to play, learn and grow up without facing hate and discrimination for who they are. I’ll work to be an ally for our LGBTQ comunity in congress, and at home in Missouri.

Immigration

The St. Louis region has been enriched and strengthened by generations of immigrants choosing to start new lives in our community. But for decades, Washington politicians have kicked the can down the road instead of actually coming together and tackling this issue. It’s time for comprehensive immigration reform that addresses current challenges and prepares for the future as well.

We need to work toward finding the appropriate balance in creating a system that ensures safety and security at the border, while also treating people with dignity and respect, and honoring the rights of asylum seekers. A pathway to citizenship must be established for those who are already here, working hard, and paying taxes. We need to ensure that our country is protected from MS-13 gang members, drug traffickers, and terrorists. You can count on me to fight to ensure that the Department of Homeland Security has adequate funding to serve our country.[7]

—Wesley Bell’s campaign website (2024)[8]