Colorado primary: socialist Melat Kiros defeats 15-term incumbent Diana DeGette, extending Democratic insurgent wave

Progressive upset in Denver

In Colorado's deep-blue 1st Congressional District, Melat Kiros, a 29-year-old attorney and democratic socialist, decisively defeated Representative Diana DeGette, a 68-year-old progressive who had served 15 terms. Kiros led by nearly 10 percentage points despite being outspent more than two-to-one by groups aligned with the Democratic establishment and AIPAC. Kiros, who moved from Ethiopia as a baby, campaigned on a platform including a full arms embargo on Israel, even for defensive weapons, calling its actions in Gaza a genocide. DeGette, by contrast, supported sending defensive weapons.

“If we organize and show no fear in standing up for what's right, that is the message that Denver has sent to both parties, to Donald Trump and to the entire country. I am grateful for her service and her fight for reproductive freedom. She helped build a community that welcomed my family to this city and to this district, and I'll always be grateful for that.”

Other primary results signal a broader shift

The night also saw progressive state representative Manny Rutinel, a vegan activist and opponent of industrial farming, win the Democratic primary in the neighboring 8th District over moderate Shannon Bird. Rutinel will now face Republican incumbent Gabe Evans in a competitive seat that includes major meatpacking and dairy operations. Meanwhile, in the gubernatorial primary, long-time Senator Michael Bennet lost to the state's attorney general, who ran to his left. Senator John Hickenlooper survived a challenge from a self-described "insurgent progressive" state senator.

A national pattern takes shape

Kiros's victory extends a sequence of primary losses for establishment Democrats. The previous week, two New York City incumbents, Representatives Dan Goldman and Adriano Espaillat, were unseated by challengers backed by progressive Mayor Zohran Mamdani. In May, Chris Rabb won an open primary in Pennsylvania's 3rd District with an endorsement from Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. In total, eight House incumbents, five of them Democrats, have lost primaries during this midterm cycle, according to Kyle Kondik of the University of Virginia Center for Politics.

A party in turmoil

House Democrats are privately panicked, with one senior member calling the Colorado outcome a "wake-up call". A Democratic strategist told The Atlantic that voters are rejecting candidates who "look and sound like someone who should be in elected office." Yet some elected Democrats have already extended congratulations to Kiros. Representative Emily Randall of Washington said she sent Kiros a note and looks forward to welcoming her to the team.

“I'm grateful for all Diana has done as our region's dean. I don't know Melat yet, but I sent her a note of congratulations and look forward to welcoming her to the team.”

What comes next

Kiros is almost certain to win the general election in her heavily Democratic district and join Congress in January. Rutinel's race in the 8th District is a toss-up that could help determine control of the House. Republicans are already working to brand Democratic candidates in competitive districts as socialists, with NRCC chair Richard Hudson stating that "candidate quality" is decisive and that his party has the advantage. The midterm elections on November 3 will test whether the progressive energy surging through Democratic primaries can translate into broader gains.