Wesley Jonell-Cleavon Bell (born November 5, 1974) is an American attorney and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Missouri's 1st congressional district, based in St. Louis, since 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as prosecuting attorney for St. Louis County, Missouri, from 2019 to 2025.
Bell was first elected prosecuting attorney in 2018 after defeating long-time yet controversial county prosecutor Bob McCulloch in the August 2018 Democratic primary election. He is the first African-American prosecuting attorney in St. Louis County history.
In 2024, Bell ran against and defeated incumbent Democrat Cori Bush in the primary, supported by heavy spending from pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC. In 2026, he defeated Bush by 22 points in a primary rematch.
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Early life and education
Bell was raised in northern St. Louis County, Missouri. He is the son of a police officer father and civil servant mother. Bell is a graduate of Hazelwood East High School, Lindenwood University, and University of Missouri School of Law.
Early career
After graduating from law school, Bell worked as a St. Louis County public defender. He later joined the faculty of Florissant Valley Community College as a professor in the criminology department. Additionally, he also was appointed to be a municipal court judge in Velda City and municipal prosecutor in Riverview. While working as a municipal judge in Velda City, Bell was sued by Arch City Defenders, a local nonprofit, for his role in Velda City's cash bail system.
In 2006, Bell managed the campaign of Mark J. Byrne, a conservative Republican candidate challenging Lacy Clay's seat in Missouri's 1st congressional district. Byrne described Bell's participation in the campaign as a "friendly favor," saying that Bell did his best to help Byrne win despite their different political views. The district was considered a safe seat for Democrats by the Cook Political Report and the incumbent Democrat won with over 72% of the vote.
In 2015, following the Ferguson Protests, Bell was elected to Ferguson city council, beating out Lee Smith, a first time candidate popular among Ferguson protestors.
In 2018, Bell entered the race for county prosecutor. He ran on a platform of community based policing, assigning special prosecutors in homicides by police, pledging to never seek the death penalty, reforming cash bail/bond, and other progressive points. He received significant support from local and national activists and advocacy groups. The election was also seen as a referendum on incumbent Bob McCulloch, for his decision not to prosecute the white police officer who shot and killed Michael Brown.
County prosecutor
In his first hours in office, Bell ordered his assistant prosecutors not to prosecute marijuana cases under 100 grams without evidence of distribution of the drug; however, he still prosecuted marijuana cases where the person possessing the marijuana is armed with a weapon. His office stopped seeking warrants on cases that solely involve the possession of marijuana. Additionally, during his first days in office Bell elected to stop prosecuting criminal child support cases.
Bell was confronted in 2020 with a case from 2018, in which a resident of Jefferson County, Missouri, killed a woman. There was a major public outcry for Bell to seek the death penalty for accused killer Thomas Bruce, but Bell refused, keeping his campaign promise. Former St. Louis police chief Tim Fitch urged Bell to turn the case over to federal prosecutors so that they could seek the death penalty. However, the family of the victim supported Bell's decision not to seek the death penalty.
Bell reopened the investigation into the killing of Michael Brown in early 2020, and decided not to file any charges against the white officer. Bell ultimately concluded, like his predecessor Bob McCulloch and the United States Department of Justice, that there was not probable cause to criminally charge Darren Wilson. The decision was met with anger from Michael Brown's family who accused Bell of conducting an incomplete investigation. In response to these accusations, Bell stated that his department "relied heavily on the evidence uncovered by the Department of Justice, an investigation that was extraordinarily comprehensive and included interviews of every significant witness and its own forensic examinations." This Obama-era DOJ investigation which Mr. Bell cites concluded, like both Mr. Bell and his predecessor, that the officer should not be held responsible for the death of Michael Brown.
In 2024, Bell asked to vacate the murder conviction of Marcellus Williams on the basis of “clear and convincing evidence” of Williams's innocence. Williams was previously scheduled for execution in 2017, spared by a last minute stay by Eric Greitens, who appointed a board of inquiry later dissolved by Mike Parson.
Following the ten year commemoration of the killing of Michael Brown, Bell pressed felony charges on at least eight protestors in Ferguson. A police officer suffered brain injuries following a fall, however protest organizers say that the incident was not caused by the activist charged with assault.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
In 2023, Bell announced a challenge to Josh Hawley for the U.S. Senate, in which he polled higher than fellow Democratic candidate Lucas Kunce. In late October 2023, he dropped out from the Senate race to challenge fellow Democrat Cori Bush for Missouri's 1st congressional district seat. Leaked audio confirmed that Bell previously told Bush he would not run against her. Bell told Bush, "I'm telling you on my word I am not running against you."
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a pro-Israel lobbying group, spent $8.5 million on Bell's campaign. Campaign ads were funded by AIPAC's spending arm, United Democracy Project. By May 2024, Bell had raised more than $65,000 from donors who also gave to one of Missouri’s two Republican senators, Hawley and Eric Schmitt, in their most recent campaigns, and Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, the leading Republican candidate for governor. Bell also received additional support and campaign financing from conservatives and Republicans. In addition, the Democratic Majority for Israel spent large amounts of money to support his campaign and defeat Bush.
On July 25, 2024, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which had previously been critical of Bell, endorsed him. Bell defeated Bush in the primary and ultimately won the general election.
Bell is running for re-election in 2026. He won the Democratic primary on August 4, 2026 in a rematch against Cori Bush, winning with 59% of the vote, a greater margin of victory than 2024. Bell's campaign outspent Bush by a 27-to-1 ratio, and AIPAC spent $3.1 million to support him. Bell was also backed by House Democratic party leadership and the Congressional Black Caucus. He will face Republican nominee Paul Berry and Libertarian nominee Tom Schmitz in the general election.
Tenure
Bell visited St. Louis following the 2025 St. Louis tornado. He said the storm disaster presented an opportunity to invest in under-served areas, and that he was prepared to file for additional aid if requests were not matched.
In May 2025, Bell criticized cuts to Medicaid.
In June 2025, Bell collaborated with Senator Eric Schmitt to make a custom beer in the Anheuser-Busch Brew Across America competition.
During the June 2025 Los Angeles protests, Bell joined 74 other House Democrats in signing a resolution condemning antisemitism and the 2025 Boulder fire attack which included an expression of "gratitude" for ICE. Another resolution on antisemitism circulated at the same time with broader support.
In August 2025, Bell visited St. Louis for constituent gatherings, including a job fair and public town hall. The town hall was disrupted by protesters criticizing his support for Israel in the Gaza war. Security guards were recorded treating attendees roughly, with SLMPD distancing themselves from many of the guards and one guard put on leave from his civilian role.
In September 2025, Bell joined the discharge petition filed by Thomas Massie to demand the release of the Epstein files.
Committee assignments
For the 119th Congress:
Committee on Armed Services
Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
Subcommittee on Federal Law Enforcement
Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services
Caucus memberships
Black Maternal Health Caucus
New Democrat Coalition
Political positions
Israel
Bell is a supporter of Israel. He voiced support for Israel in the Twelve-Day War.
In July 2025, Bell condemned the starvation of Palestinian civilians caused by Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip, saying: "I’ve always supported Israel’s right to exist and defend itself. That hasn’t changed. But supporting this government’s actions – allowing children to starve and firing on civilians seeking food – is something I can’t stand by. This isn’t self-defense. It must stop."
In August 2025, Bell met with Israeli president Isaac Herzog as part of a congressional delegation to Israel with the American Israel Education Foundation.
In July 2026, Bell voted against an amendment to cut off aid to Israel.