A wave of socialist candidates has swept through Democratic primaries across the nation, with a notable victory in Denver’s congressional race.
In the reliably blue city of Denver, Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), a 15-term incumbent and member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, is projected to be unseated by socialist challenger Melat Kiros. Kiros, who studies at the University of Denver and previously worked as an attorney, defeated DeGette in the Democratic primary for Colorado’s 1st Congressional District. University of Colorado Regent Wanda James also ran in the race.
The victory follows similar successes in New York City, where two democratic socialists backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani won their House primaries last week.
Kiros, a 29-year-old who rents an apartment and works as a barista, emphasized her campaign’s rejection of corporate PAC money. Both candidates, however, have super PACs actively supporting their campaigns.
A key issue in the race has been Israel. In November 2023, Kiros was fired from her law firm after writing a letter on her Substack that disputed the notion that calling for the elimination of the state of Israel or criticizing its government constitutes antisemitism. During an interview with controversial left-wing podcaster Hasan Piker, Kiros described Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel as “an inevitable consequence” of Israel’s actions.
DeGette argued that her extensive experience and role as chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health made her uniquely qualified for re-election. She also stated that the Democratic Party should not take a gamble on an untested candidate. Kiros, who has criticized the Democratic leadership for failing to address working-class needs, listed her top priorities: Medicare for all, housing first, universal child care, abolishing ICE, and publicly financed elections.
