Insurgent socialist candidate Melat Kiros has defeated longtime Rep. Diana DeGette in Colorado's 1st District House primary, representing a significant shift in the state's congressional delegation and a continued challenge to the Democratic Party's establishment wing.
Kiros secured 49.3% of the vote compared to DeGette's 43.5% when the Associated Press called the race Tuesday. This victory follows a pattern seen in other recent primaries where progressive candidates have overcome establishment-backed incumbents.
DeGette, a 15-term Democrat first elected in 1997, had argued for her extensive experience, stating, "Now is not the time to gamble and send somebody with no experience to Washington." She highlighted her record and endorsements from prominent state and national Democratic figures, including Colorado's Democratic congressional delegation and the House Progressive Caucus.
Kiros, a 29-year-old Ph.D. student and former attorney, who has received backing from Sen. Bernie Sanders, positioned herself as an advocate for working people. She criticized the Democratic Party's leadership for its perceived inaction on key issues, asserting, "The reality is Democrats have the worst approval rating we’ve had in decades, because we’ve failed to actually do anything for working people."
Kiros's platform includes policies such as Medicare for All, Universal Child Care, and Abolishing ICE. Her campaign has also drawn attention for her views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. She has faced criticism for describing Hamas's Oct. 7 attack on Israel as an "inevitable consequence" of Israeli actions and for arguing that calls for Israel's elimination are not antisemitic. Kiros was reportedly fired from her law firm job after publishing an open letter on the topic. She has also faced scrutiny for refusing to label the firebombing of a pro-Israel rally in Boulder, Colorado, as antisemitic.
Despite the controversy, Kiros is expected to perform well in the general election. Colorado's 1st District is considered a solidly Democratic seat, according to the Cook Political Report.
Kiros's win is part of a broader trend of progressive victories in Democratic primaries. Earlier this month, socialist candidates achieved similar successes in New York, unseating establishment Democrats. These outcomes suggest a potential shift in the ideological balance of the House Democratic caucus.
However, not all progressive challengers found success on Tuesday. In Colorado, incumbent Sen. John Hickenlooper won the Democratic Senate primary, defeating state Sen. Julie Gonzales, a former member of the Democratic Socialists of America.