In a stunning upset, the 29-year-old lawyer defeated the Denver congresswoman who has held this seat for nearly three decades.
Jennifer Bendery at HuffPost:
WASHINGTON ― Democratic socialist Melat Kiros is projected to win Tuesday’s Democratic primary in Colorado’s 1st congressional district, unseating 15-term Rep. Diana DeGette. Kiros, a 29-year-old lawyer and PhD student, ran to the left of DeGette in this solidly Democratic district that encompasses most of Denver. A political newcomer backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and progressive groups like Justice Democrats, she campaigned on a message of affordability, Medicare for All, abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement and supporting universal childcare. Kiros’s victory comes after a wave of similar primary wins in New York last week by young and more progressive candidates taking on the establishment. Democratic voters have been showing a desire for generational change within their party, and younger voters are looking for leaders to the left of the establishment on issues such as wealth inequality and foreign policy. [...] DeGette, 68, is also progressive and, as a senior member of Congress, holds significant sway with her seat on the powerful House Committee on Energy and Commerce. But in an early sign of trouble for her campaign, DeGette earned just 32% of the vote at Democrats’ Denver County assembly in March ― nearly missing the ballot entirely. Kiros walked away with a whopping 63% of the vote.
In the CO-01 Democratic primary, a major shock was delivered, as 29-year-old DSA member Melat Kiros unseats 15-term Rep. Diana DeGette, who was herself fairly progressive.
Kiros was fired from her Sidley Austin job at the New York City office in 2023 over the publication of an open letter defending college students protesting Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
