Wesley Bell joins Lucas Kunce in the August 2024 Democratic primary. The nominee will face U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley.

St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell, a Democrat, announced Wednesday he is a candidate for U.S. Senate, setting up what could be an expensive intraparty battle to take on Republican incumbent Josh Hawley in November 2024.

In a launch video released Wednesday morning, Bell said, “We need leaders who try to help — unlike Josh Hawley, who’s in a rush to be famous and pretending to be tough while showing the world how weak he really is.”

Bell, 48, would face Democrat Lucas Kunce, who hauled in $1.1 million in the first fundraising quarter this year, in next year’s August primary.