Dem socialist Kiros ousts 15-term Rep. DeGette in Colorado primary
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- Melat Kiros, a 29-year-old democratic socialist and former lawyer who emigrated from Ethiopia as a baby, defeated 15-term Rep. Diana DeGette in Colorado's Denver-area House primary, leading by nearly 7,000 votes with 78% counted.
- Kiros drew controversy for criticizing Democrats over their support for Israel and allying with socialist commentator Hasan Piker; she was fired from her law job for refusing to delete a post criticizing law firms' stance on Israel and Palestine.
- Attorney General Phil Weiser ousted four-term Sen. Michael Bennet for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, having outraised and outspent him, and positioned himself as Colorado's defender against Trump's federal funding freeze and his veto of a major drinking water project.
- State Rep. Manny Rutinel, a progressive, won the Democratic nomination in a nearly 40% Latino Denver-area battleground district to face Republican Rep. Gabe Evans, who reported $3.4 million cash on hand against Rutinel's $910,000.
- Kiros is favored to win November in the overwhelmingly Democratic district and, per NPR's coverage, would become the first Gen Z woman in Congress.
- The Colorado upsets extend a national pattern: three candidates tied to the Democratic Socialists of America and endorsed by NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani had already won their primaries heading into Tuesday.
Why it matters: A 29-year-old democratic socialist is now favored to become the first Gen Z woman in Congress from a safe Denver seat, deepening the leftward shift inside Colorado's Democratic Party. Weiser's gubernatorial primary win hands Democrats a tested courtroom adversary to Trump, while Rutinel's bid in a 40%-Latino district—one of three net seats needed to flip the House—starts with a four-to-one cash disadvantage against the incumbent.
