Wesley Bell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wesley Bell
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Official portrait, 2025
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Missouri's 1st district |
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| Assumed office January 3, 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Cori Bush |
| Prosecuting Attorney of St. Louis County | |
| In office January 1, 2019 – January 3, 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Bob McCulloch |
| Succeeded by | Melissa Price Smith |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Wesley Jonell-Cleavon Bell
November 5, 1974 St. Louis County, Missouri, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education |
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| Website | |
Wesley Bell (born November 5, 1974) is an American lawyer and politician. He is currently a U.S. representative for Missouri's 1st district since 2025. This means he helps make laws for the country.
Before becoming a U.S. representative, he was the top prosecutor for St. Louis County, Missouri, from 2019 to 2025. As a prosecutor, he was the main lawyer for the government in criminal cases. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
In 2018, Wesley Bell made history. He became the first Black county prosecuting attorney in St. Louis County. He won against the long-time prosecutor, Bob McCulloch. In 2024, he won the election to become a U.S. Representative.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Wesley Bell grew up in northern St. Louis County, Missouri. His father was a police officer, and his mother worked for the government.
He went to Hazelwood East High School. After high school, he studied at Lindenwood University. Later, he earned his law degree from the University of Missouri School of Law.
Early Career and Public Service
After finishing law school, Wesley Bell started his career helping people. He worked as a public defender in St. Louis County. A public defender is a lawyer who helps people who cannot afford their own legal help.
Later, he became a professor at Florissant Valley Community College. He taught about how the justice system works. He also served as a judge in Velda City and a prosecutor in Riverview.
In 2015, after community events in Ferguson, Missouri, Wesley Bell was elected to the Ferguson city council. This was an important step in his public service.
In 2018, Bell decided to run for county prosecutor. He promised to focus on community safety and fairness. He wanted to change how the justice system worked. Many people and groups supported his ideas.
As County Prosecutor
When Wesley Bell became county prosecutor in January 2019, he made some immediate changes. His office stopped prosecuting certain minor cases. This was part of his plan to focus on more serious crimes.
He also kept a promise he made during his campaign. He decided not to seek the death penalty in a major case. This decision was supported by the victim's family.
In 2020, Bell looked into a past investigation involving a police officer. After reviewing all the evidence, he reached the same conclusion as previous investigations. He decided not to file charges against the officer. He explained that his team used all available evidence, including a thorough investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.
In 2024, Bell asked to review a past conviction. He believed there was strong evidence that the person was innocent.
Office Operations and Spending
During his time as prosecutor, Bell faced some questions about how his office used resources. For example, there were reports about parking tickets and travel expenses.
Bell explained that he and his team sometimes needed to park close to the office for quick access to their cars. He also said that some expenses were for building relationships with local law enforcement. He later paid for some of these expenses himself. Bell apologized for any "missteps" and promised to be more careful with public money.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2024 Election
In 2023, Wesley Bell first considered running for the U.S. Senate. However, in late 2023, he decided to run for the U.S. House of Representatives instead. He challenged the current representative for Missouri's 1st congressional district, Cori Bush.
During the campaign, Bell received support from various groups. He won the Democratic primary election in August 2024. After winning the primary, he went on to win the general election in November 2024. He officially became a U.S. Representative in January 2025.
Committee Assignments
As a U.S. Representative, Wesley Bell works on different committees. These committees focus on specific topics and help create new laws.
- Committee on Armed Services
- Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
- Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces
- Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
- Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services
- Subcommittee on Federal Law Enforcement
Caucus Memberships
Wesley Bell is also part of different groups called caucuses. These groups bring together members of Congress who share common interests.
Electoral History
2024
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Wesley Bell | 63,340 | 51.2 | |
| Democratic | Cori Bush (incumbent) | 56,492 | 45.6 | |
| Democratic | Maria Chappelle-Nadal | 3,257 | 2.6 | |
| Democratic | Ron Harshaw | 730 | 0.6 | |
| Total votes | 123,819 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Wesley Bell | 233,312 | 75.9 | |
| Republican | Andrew Jones | 56,453 | 18.4 | |
| Libertarian | Rochelle Riggins | 10,070 | 3.3 | |
| Green | Don Fitz | 5,151 | 1.7 | |
| Better Party | Blake Ashby | 2,279 | 0.7 | |
| Total votes | 307,265 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
Images for kids
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Wesley Bell in 2014
See also
- List of new members of the 119th United States Congress
