Melat Kiros, a Democratic socialist who recently unseated a 15-term Colorado congresswoman, has advocated for increased representation of immigrants and individuals with heritage in the "global south" within elected office, stating it is necessary to challenge what she described as America's "exploitative" global role.
Kiros, an Ethiopian-born Ph.D. student, made these remarks earlier this month at a Denver-based Wa-Ela Tigrai diaspora gathering. She argued that a shift in American foreign policy requires individuals who fundamentally understand the nation's impact on the international stage. "That means getting more immigrants into office. That means getting more people who have heritage in the global south into office because that’s where those decisions are made specifically," Kiros stated.
The term "global south" generally refers to developing or low-income nations in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and Oceania, many of which have historical ties to Western colonialism.
Kiros, who defeated incumbent Diana DeGette in the Democratic primary for Colorado's 1st District by 6,878 votes, is expected to win the general election in November. Throughout her campaign, she has called for an end to U.S. aid to Israel, the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the implementation of universal healthcare.
Her victory gained national attention, particularly after she was dismissed from her New York law firm following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. Kiros had penned an open letter arguing that advocating for the elimination of Israel is not antisemitic. She also commented to a far-left streamer that the Oct. 7 attacks were an "inevitable consequence of apartheid, of occupation, decades of corruption."
Kiros, who is 29 years old, has also previously suggested that U.S. foreign policy choices made the 9/11 terror attacks "inevitable."
Reflecting on her own potential entry into Congress, Kiros distinguished her experience from that of "The Squad" – Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Tlaib – who first entered Congress in 2018. She asserted that current leaders have a responsibility to facilitate pathways for future candidates. "Our responsibility as people that are coming into positions of leadership is to do the same for those who come after us," she said.