Far-left extends victory streak into Denver: Key takeaways from Colorado’s primaries

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The far-left faction of the Democratic Party landed another major upset on Tuesday after democratic socialist Melat Kiros defeated progressive Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) in the Democratic primary for a Denver-based House seat – a win that’s sure to delight Republicans while worrying House Democratic leadership ahead of November.

Kiros, a former attorney who was fired for penning a letter criticizing the idea that calling for the elimination of the state of Israel was antisemitic, defeated a 15-term incumbent and member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. The win came just a week after two democratic socialists won their House primaries in several competitive New York City races.

While Democrats largely downplayed tensions within the party last week after those races — which saw two sitting members of Congress ousted — Kiros’s win in Denver may make it harder for Democrats to brush off the recent far-left wins and emerging rift within the party.

Kiros’s win is also a political gift for Republicans who are looking to tie far-left members of the Democratic Party to their vulnerable counterparts ahead of the midterms.

The anti-establishment mood was also clear in the Colorado Democratic primary where state Attorney General Phil Weiser (D) defeated Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), the latter of whom was seen as the favorite in the race early on. Meanwhile, Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) avoided an upset in his primary, defeating progressive state Sen. Julie Gonzales (D).

Here’s key takeaways from the Centennial State’s primaries:

DSA nabs latest win

After a string of primary wins in New York last week, the DSA won another test in Denver, where 29-year-old democratic socialist Kiros was projected to defeat 68-year-old incumbent DeGette.

DeGette, a member of the Progressive Caucus and the longest-serving lawmaker from her state, has held on to Colorado’s 1st Congressional District for three decades. But her long tenure in the House made her uniquely vulnerable this cycle to Kiros, who was not even born when DeGette started serving in Washington, amid calls for new perspectives in the House.

Backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and the DSA, Kiros took an early lead in the district that’s seen an influx of young, college-educated voters in recent years. She was leading DeGette by roughly 4 points when the race was called at 10:30 p.m. Eastern, with 78 percent of the vote tallied, according to DDHQ.

Kiros’s win adds to evidence of the so-called “Mamdani effect” after the DSA notched high-profile primaries last week in New York, where most of its base is concentrated – and where New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has become the platform’s most prominent voice. The DSA is not a political party, and candidates run as Democrats but largely disagree with the party apparatus.

The group will face additional primary tests in the weeks ahead, including in Michigan, Wisconsin and Florida. Experts cautioned against over-interpreting the wins in blue enclaves like the Big Apple, but the primary victories add to signs of voter appetite for left-wing approaches.

Republicans pounced on the primary result as another sign that the far-left is taking over the Democratic brand.

“The socialist takeover of the Democrat Party is no longer confined to deep-blue strongholds. The radicals are taking over battleground districts, putting must-win seats out of reach for Democrats and sinking their chances of flipping the House,” said Mike Marinella, a spokesperson for Republicans’ House campaign arm, in a release.

Anti-establishment Democrats notch key wins

Anti-establishment Democrats notched several major wins on Tuesday.

Kiros’s win over DeGette in the Denver-based 1st Congressional District was the biggest victory for the anti-establishment, insurgent wing of the party as the democratic socialist defeated a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus in a Democratic primary.

That win came despite the fact that some of Kiros’s positions on Israel — including previously penning a letter to U.S. law firms criticizing the idea that calling for the elimination of Israel or criticizing Israel’s government was antisemitic – were controversial among the party.

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser (D) also defeated Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) in the Democratic primary for Colorado governor – quite the opposite from what political observers expected at the beginning of the race when they saw Bennet as the clear favorite.

And while Weiser is technically a part of the Democratic establishment – he’s one of the state’s top elected Democrats and is far from a democratic socialist – the state attorney general tapped into primary voters’ frustrations with incumbents in Washington, D.C.

Weiser reminded voters he had sued the Trump administration 66 times meanwhile slamming Bennet for confirming some of the president’s cabinet picks. He also suggested that the Democratic senator was beholden to billionaires while he was committed to fighting for everyday Coloradoans.

Some of Bennet’s policy positions were more aggressive than Weiser’s, yet his policy platform and background as a senator were not enough to sway voters otherwise.

Bennet, however, will not be out of a job – he’ll remain in the Senate as he’s up for reelection in 2028.

Meanwhile, Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), a former Colorado governor who also served as Denver mayor, was able to stave off a challenge from progressive state Sen. Julie Gonzales (D).

Races set for competitive House seats

In DeGette’s Denver-based district, Kiros is now on track to easily win the solidly blue House seat this fall. But Tuesday night’s primaries also set the stage for a couple potentially competitive House races in the high-stakes fight for control of the lower chamber.

In Colorado’s 8th Congressional District, incumbent Rep. Gabe Evans (R-Colo.) is considered one of the most vulnerable Republicans up for reelection this year. Cook Political Report rates the seat, which covers Denver’s northern suburbs, a toss-up.

This fall, Evans will face off against state Rep. Manny Rutinel (D), who defeated former state Rep. Shannon Bird (D) in Tuesday’s Democratic primary. The pressure’s now on for Rutinel, an attorney and former economist for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to nab one of Democrats’ best House pickups in November.

Colorado’s 5th Congressional District could also be competitive this fall, and Cook Political Report shifted toward Democrats earlier this year, from “solidly” to “likely Republican.”

The seat, currently held by incumbent Rep. Jeff Crank (R-Colo.), has consistently moved leftward over the past three presidential cycles. Army veteran Jessica Killin won the primary to take on Crank this fall.

Democrats need to net three seats to win control of the House.

Tags

Bernie Sanders

Democratic Party

Diana DeGette

DSA

John Hickenlooper

Melat Kiros

Michael Bennet

Phil Weiser

Rep. Diana DeGette

Sen. John Hickenlooper

Sen. Michael Bennet

Zohran Mamdani

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