Paul Berry, a Republican bail bondsman and perennial candidate, is his party's nominee in 2026 for Missouri's 1st congressional district, where he faces Democratic incumbent Wesley Bell.
2026 Races & Market Forecast
Live TruthIndex™ and prediction market consensus for races contested by Paul Berry.
Biography & Campaign Analysis
2026 race
Paul Berry, a bail bondsman and perennial candidate, is the Republican nominee in the 2026 election for Missouri's 1st congressional district, which encompasses the city of St. Louis and much of northern St. Louis County.
The seat is held by Democrat Wesley Bell, who was elected with 75.9% of the vote in 2024. Berry won the Republican primary over utility executive Andrew Jones, also a perennial candidate, taking 53.4% of the vote to Jones's 46.6%.
In the general election on November 3, 2026, he faces Bell, who won his own primary rematch against former representative Cori Bush, as well as Libertarian nominee Tom Schmitz.