Socialism goes west as DSA-backed challenger ousts longtime Democrat
Melat Kiros, a 29-year-old socialist candidate backed by the Democratic Socialists of America, has defeated longtime Representative Diana DeGette in Colorado's Democratic primary for the state's most liberal congressional seat.
The upset in Colorado's 1st Congressional District, which encompasses Denver, marks a significant victory for the socialist left and follows a series of DSA-backed primary wins in New York City last week. Kiros, a PhD student and lawyer born in Ethiopia, will likely become one of a handful of outspoken socialists in the House chamber if she prevails in the November general election.
The race was defined less by traditional policy divides than by questions of political style and personal associations. Both candidates aligned on progressive priorities like Medicare-for-All and abolishing ICE. However, Kiros sharply criticized DeGette for accepting corporate political action committee contributions, a stance that resonated with the party's more insurgent wing.
Kiros secured high-profile endorsements from Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, and the anti-incumbent group Justice Democrats. She also received backing from controversial commentator Hasan Piker, who has faced criticism for past statements about international conflicts.
The incumbent's campaign highlighted DeGette's three decades of experience, including her role as an impeachment manager during former President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial in 2021. DeGette, who was seeking a sixteenth term, argued that her seniority on influential House committees would better position her to advance progressive legislation.
A particularly sharp point of contention between the candidates involved the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel and broader questions of antisemitism. Kiros characterized those attacks as the "inevitable consequence of apartheid" and declined to describe a firebombing at a Boulder protest last year as antisemitic, saying she could not determine the perpetrator's motivations.
"When someone goes and attacks innocent people because of what they might have believed, that is wrong," Kiros told Colorado's 9News in a recent interview regarding the Boulder incident.
Kiros also faced scrutiny for suggesting the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks represented an inevitable response to United States foreign policy in the Middle East. When asked whether she believed the attacks were a foreseeable result of American actions, she responded that the United States had "destabilized a lot of the Middle East."
"Our responsibility is to get rid of those conditions that lead to violence in the first place," Kiros added.
DeGette condemned her opponent's comments, writing on social media earlier this month that she was "shocked and disgusted that Kiros is doubling down on excusing terrorism and the murder of innocent people."
The incumbent was herself endorsed by Representative Pramila Jayapal of Washington, the former chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
Kiros was fired from a New York law firm in 2023 after publishing an open letter defending pro-Palestinian student protesters who had called for the elimination of Israel, arguing their actions did not constitute antisemitism.
Colorado's 1st Congressional District voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris by 56 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election, making it the most Democratic-leaning seat in the state. The district's deep-blue history suggested the primary winner would face little resistance in November.
A third candidate, University of Colorado Regent Wanda James, also competed in the primary but was not considered a serious threat to either front-runner.