Missouri prosecutor Wesley Bell vies for GOP Sen. Hawley’s seat

By SUMMER BALLENTINE
Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Black prosecutor who stepped into leadership during protests over the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown is running for Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley’s Missouri seat. St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination Wednesday. Bell is a former municipal judge who was elected to the Ferguson city council in 2015 as protests continued to rage over Brown’s death. He later unseated the longtime prosecutor who handled the investigation into Brown’s killing. Bell is competing for the Democratic nomination against Marine veteran Lucas Kunce. Missouri is a deeply red state but Bell says he’s “not afraid of a tough fight.”