Far left looks for latest win in Colorado: Five things to watch in the primaries

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Democratic socialists are looking to nab their next major win in Colorado on Tuesday as far-left candidate and former attorney Melat Kiros challenges progressive Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) for a Denver-based House seat.

The primary between DeGette, Kiros and University of Colorado Regent Wanda James for Colorado’s 1st Congressional District has become a proxy battle between the establishment and the progressive, insurgent wing of the party as Democrats grapple with the direction of their party amid clear voter dissatisfaction with the status quo.

The House primary is also testing Democratic voter attitudes around outside influence and support for Israel — issues that helped land the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) key wins last week when Claire Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier won their Democratic primaries for House seats in New York City.

A third DSA win could embolden far-left progressives to make inroads elsewhere while putting Democrats in battleground seats at risk of being defined by the democratic socialists.

The Democratic primaries for Colorado governor, between Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and state Attorney General Phil Weiser (D); and Senate, where Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) is up for reelection; are also testing the mood for antiestablishment candidates.

Meanwhile, the Colorado GOP primary for governor is teeing up a three-way contest between an establishment-backed state senator and two controversial candidates.

Here are five things to watch in Colorado’s primaries.

DSA looks for next upset in Colorado

The DSA is looking to extend its newfound streak of congressional primary wins in Denver as Kiros, a democratic socialist, mounts a competitive challenge against DeGette.

Kiros has suggested she understands the needs of the district, noting she’s 29 years old, is a renter and works as a barista while working on her PhD. She’s also sought to differentiate herself from DeGette by noting she doesn’t accept corporate PAC money, though super PACs have spent money supporting both Kiros and DeGette in the primary.

DeGette, a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, has argued voters shouldn’t take a gamble on a newcomer and noted she’s poised to become the chair of the Subcommittee on Health if Democrats win back the House in the fall.

James is seen as a longshot candidate.

A Kiros victory would offer a major boost for the far left, whose candidates have generally struggled in past recent election cycles. It would also underscore that progressives are not immune from the primary base’s dissatisfaction with its incumbents as Democrats look for candidates who will be active fighters against the Trump administration.

However, a DeGette victory would signal that DSA support may be limited to certain parts of the country like New York City. It would also serve as good news for House Democratic leadership who are keenly aware that Republicans will try to tie their vulnerable members to DSA candidates in November.

Democratic primaries test mood for antiestablishment picks

One theme running through several of the Centennial State’s Democratic primaries is whether voters are eager for an antiestablishment newcomer over a steady-handed, long-serving incumbent.

That dynamic is certainly on display in Colorado’s 1st Congressional District primary between DeGette and Kiros. But it’s also on display in several other races, too.

Hickenlooper, a former Colorado governor who’s also served as Denver mayor, is fending off a challenge from the left against progressive state Sen. Julie Gonzales (D). Gonzales has described Hickenlooper as “a do-nothing Dem in the US Senate who voted for ten (!) Trump cabinet nominees.”

Meanwhile, the Colorado senator has essentially sought to ignore Gonzales by skipping public forums and debates. Hickenlooper is seen as the favorite in the race.

An element of antiestablishment mood is also present in the Colorado Democratic primary for governor between Bennet and Weiser. Though the two are running to replace term-limited Gov. Jared Polis (D), Weiser has portrayed the race as one where he’ll “fight for the people of Colorado, not corporations & out-of-state billionaires.”

He’s also pointed to the fact that he’s sued the Trump administration 66 times as state attorney general and criticized Bennet for voting for some of the president’s Cabinet secretary picks.

Bennet, meanwhile, has argued that his policy plans are more aggressive, pointing out he would launch a state public option for health insurance and set a goal to make rent no more than 30 percent of someone’s income by supporting efforts to increase the supply of starter homes and affordable housing.

The Democratic senator also enjoys the backing of Hickenlooper and Democratic Reps. Joe Neguse, Jason Crow and Brittany Pettersen.

Israel becomes lightning rod issue in Denver-based House seat

Support for Israel has become a lightning rod issue in a host of Democratic primaries this cycle, most recently in New York City’s. It played most prominently in the Democratic contest between progressive Brad Lander and Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), the latter of whom lost reelection amid souring opinion on Israel.

That issue also became a focal point in the primary between DeGette and Kiros.

Kiros was fired by her law firm after she wrote a letter on her Substack in 2023 in which she disputed the idea that calling for the elimination of the state of Israel or criticizing the country’s government was antisemitic. The letter was penned just one month after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas against Israel.

The former lawyer has also received criticism for declining to say whether a firebombing that took place in Boulder in 2025 that hurt protesters calling for the release of Israeli hostages by Hamas was an act of antisemitism, saying in a recent interview with 9News, “I don’t know what was in the heart of the perpetrator.”

DeGette has said she’s opposed to most arms sales to Israel except defensive weapons while Kiros said she’s in favor of a complete embargo on weapons sales to the country.

GOP gubernatorial primary tees up proxy battle

A Republican primary for Colorado governor includes a cast of several colorful characters: a GOP state senator backed by Rep. Gabe Evans (R-Colo.) and former Gov. Bill Owens (R); a GOP state representative who’s alleged without evidence that pedophile rings are operating in the Colorado state Capitol; and a minister who has said his stepfather forced him to kill a man when he was 7 years old.

Those candidates are state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, state Rep. Scott Bottoms and Victor Marx, respectively, and they’re all vying for the GOP nod to take on either Bennet or Weiser in the governor’s race in November.

Colorado Republicans have seen their fair share of primary proxy battles between establishment Republicans and more controversial or fringe candidates. Former state Rep. Ron Hanks (R), an election denier, ran against Rep. Jeff Hurd (R-Colo.) last cycle, and Hanks also ran against businessman Joe O’Dea for the Republican nomination for Senate in 2022.

Democrats have at times tried to elevate Hanks as a candidate but to no avail as Colorado Republicans have largely avoiding nominating more controversial figures over moderate and establishment favorites.

Even if Kirkmeyer emerges from the primary successful, Republicans have a tough climb ahead as the party hasn’t won a governor’s race since Owens’ reelection in 2002.

Democrats choose their picks in key House seats

Democrats are poised to make their picks in several key congressional primaries in hopes of making more aggressive inroads in the state ahead of November.

Former U.S. Army officer Dwayne Romero is running against businessman Alex Kelloff in the Democratic contest for Hurd’s seat in the 3rd Congressional District.

Army veterans Jessica Killin and Joe Reagan are competing for the Democratic nod to take on Rep. Jeff Crank (R-Colo.) in Colorado’s 5th Congressional District.

And state Rep. Manny Rutinel and former state Rep. Shannon Bird are eyeing their chance to take on Evans in the swingy 8th Congressional District.

Evans’s seat is seen as Democrats’ best opportunity to flip a GOP-held seat in Colorado, with the nonpartisan election handicapper Cook Political Report rating it as a “toss-up.” Democrats, however, also think they have a unique opportunity to flip Crank’s seat, which Cook rates as “likely Republican.”

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Brittany Pettersen

Diana DeGette

Jared Polis

Jason Crow

Joe Neguse

John Hickenlooper

Michael Bennet

Zohran Mamdani

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