Dem CO gov nominee calls out DSA candidate for antisemitism comment

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Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser (D), who defeated Sen. Michael Bennett (D) in Colorado’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, said he would confront congressional candidate Melat Kiros (D) for refusing to condemn the deadly 2025 firebomb attack on Jewish activists in Boulder as antisemitic.

Kiros, a democratic socialist and former attorney, scored an upset against incumbent Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), who has held the Denver-based seat since 1997.

In an interview following her victory, Kiros was asked about the firebombing attack that killed one person and injured several others. She refused to label the attack as an act of antisemitism, saying that she did not know the perpetrator’s motivations behind the attack.

“What happened on June 1st in Boulder was an antisemitic attack,” Weiser, who is Jewish, said in an interview. “If someone isn’t going to acknowledge that, I am concerned about that.”

The gubernatorial nominee likened the issue to the Black Lives Matter movement, arguing that support for Jewish victims of hate crimes should be seen in the same light.

“Black Lives Matter, period,” he said. “Jewish lives matter… You don’t put a comma, an and, or a but. Period. That’s the message.”

Weiser said he has not yet discussed the matter with Kiros directly, but said he intends to raise it with her when the two eventually speak.

“I haven’t sat down with her, but when we have a conversation, and if this June 1st attack comes up, that’s my view,” he said.

Kiros also came under scrutiny for past comments on Israel and the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, which she described as the “inevitable consequence of apartheid,” though she did say Israel did not deserve the attack.

She similarly argued that the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks were “inevitable” due to the U.S.’s military actions in the Middle East.

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Democratic Party

Diana DeGette

Israel

Melat Kiros

Phil Weiser

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