Wesley Bell
DemocratU.S. Representative, MO-1| Age | 51 (b. 1974-11-05) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 2025-01-03 (~1 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | Black / African American |
| Education | BA (Political Science and Public Management), Lindenwood University, 1998; JD, University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law |
| Prior occupation | Public defender (St. Louis County); criminology professor (Florissant Valley Community College); municipal judge (Velda City); municipal prosecutor (Riverview); St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney (2019–2025) |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | St. Louis County, Missouri |
| Residence | North St. Louis County, Missouri |
| Notable relatives | Grandfather Reverend Melvin T. Bell led a historic labor strike in 1967 at Duncan Foundry steel mill; stepfather was an electrician with IBEW Local 649 |
Pending research: religion · languages · marital status · children · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 2015 |
| Previous offices | Ferguson City Council member (2015–2018) · St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney (2019–2025) |
| Committees | House Committee on Armed Services (Subcommittees: Strategic Forces; Tactical Air and Land Forces) · House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (Subcommittee: Federal Law Enforcement) |
| Caucuses | Congressional Black Caucus · New Democrat Coalition · Black Maternal Health Caucus · Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (ally member) |
| Ideology | Moderate Democrat; member of New Democrat Coalition; received major support from AIPAC and pro-Israel PACs in 2024 primary against progressive incumbent Cori Bush |
| Signature legislation | Vacancy to Value Act of 2026 (redevelopment of vacant federal properties into affordable housing) · Tornado Preparedness Act (NOAA/FEMA modernization for tornado forecasting) · Reinvest in Public Schools Act of 2026 (school bond refinancing) · FEMA Accountability Act (monthly disaster relief fund reporting) · No ICE Ads Act (prohibiting DHS from funding ICE recruitment TV ads) · Defense Technology Hubs Act of 2026 (DoD regional innovation hubs for defense tech) |
Financial
No holdings recorded yet (from official Financial Disclosure filings).
Top donors: American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) / United Democracy Project (super PAC) ($8.5 million (independent expenditures in 2024 primary)) · Daniel Loeb (billionaire hedge fund founder) · David Steward (billionaire tech CEO, World Wide Technology) · Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn founder) (Maximum contribution)
Top industries: Pro-Israel / foreign policy advocacy · Finance / hedge funds · Technology · Law
Scandals & crimes ledger
resolved — Employment Discrimination Lawsuit (Susan Petersen v. St. Louis County / Wesley Bell)
Former assistant prosecutor Susan Petersen, who worked in the St. Louis County Prosecutor's Office for over 20 years, filed a lawsuit in October 2020 alleging that Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell discriminated against her based on gender, age, and race, and retaliated against her after she complained. Petersen alleged Bell hired and promoted significantly more male employees than female staff and maintained an all-male executive team. She also claimed Bell's decisions in two criminal cases — involving plea deals for Black defendants — constituted racial discrimination, with one judge expressing 'confusion and reluctance' about a plea agreement. Petersen was suspended in September 2019 and demoted in October 2019 before departing the office. St. Louis County approved a $500,000 settlement on January 24, 2025.