Progressive candidate defeats 15 term incumbent as left wing gains momentum within Democratic Party

DENVER, Colorado, July 1  Democratic socialist Melat Kiros has defeated 15 term U.S. Representative Diana DeGette in the Democratic primary for a Denver area congressional district, marking another victory for the Democratic Party’s progressive wing over an establishment incumbent.

Multiple U.S. media outlets projected Kiros the winner on Tuesday after about 78 percent of the votes had been counted, with the 29 year old former lawyer leading DeGette by nearly 7,000 votes.

Kiros, who immigrated to the United States from Ethiopia as an infant, campaigned on a progressive platform and drew national attention for her outspoken criticism of Democratic lawmakers who support Israel during the war in Gaza, which she has described as genocide.

Her campaign also faced scrutiny over her association with socialist political commentator Hasan Piker and her criticism of major law firms over their positions on Israel and Palestine. Kiros was dismissed from her legal job after refusing to remove a social media post critical of the firms’ stance on the conflict.

With the district considered safely Democratic, Kiros is widely expected to win the general election in November.

Her victory is the latest sign of growing influence for democratic socialists within the Democratic Party. Earlier this summer, three candidates affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America and endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani won their respective Democratic primaries, reflecting increasing support for progressive candidates in urban districts.

Colorado voters also decided several other closely watched Democratic contests on Tuesday.

Attorney General Phil Weiser defeated U.S. Senator Michael Bennet to secure the Democratic nomination for governor. The race centered largely on which candidate was better positioned to challenge President Donald Trump’s policies after his administration froze federal funding to Colorado and vetoed a major drinking water project in the state.

Throughout the campaign, Weiser highlighted his legal battles against the Trump administration, including lawsuits challenging the federal funding freeze and efforts to end birthright citizenship. He is considered the favourite to win the governorship in November.

In another key race, State Representative Manny Rutinel won the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican Representative Gabe Evans in one of the country’s most competitive congressional districts.

Rutinel defeated former State Representative Shannon Bird in a campaign that focused heavily on immigration and outreach to the district’s large Latino population, which makes up nearly 40 percent of residents.

Although Evans narrowly captured the seat in the 2024 election, he enters the general election with a significant financial advantage, reporting $3.4 million in campaign funds compared with Rutinel’s $910,000.

Control of Congress remains a major focus ahead of the November midterm elections. Republicans currently hold narrow majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, with Democrats needing a net gain of three House seats to reclaim the chamber and four Senate seats to regain control of the upper chamber.

Source: Aljazeera