In a decisive Tuesday victory in the Denver area, 29‑year‑old democratic socialist Melat Kiros defeated Representative Diana DeGette, according to The Associated Press, underscoring the growing influence of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.
Ms. Kiros’s triumph unseats a 15‑term incumbent and adds to a wave of insurgent victories that have swept several recent congressional contests, including those in New York.
An immigrant and first‑time candidate, Ms. Kiros was born the year after Ms. DeGette, 68, assumed office. In the solidly Democratic district, her victory virtually guarantees her November win.
A lawyer and doctoral student in public affairs, Ms. Kiros portrayed herself as a political outsider equipped to tackle the affordability crisis that she argued the Democratic establishment had not solved. Opposition to U.S. support for Israel was a central theme of her campaign and a defining element of her political identity.
Her grassroots campaign outpaced the fundraising advantage of incumbent Ms. DeGette, who received a late influx of spending from outside groups. By early Wednesday, Ms. Kiros led by more than five percentage points with nearly 80 % of votes counted.
Ms. Kiros’s campaign biography noted that the Manhattan law firm where she once worked fired her in 2023 after she declined to remove a letter questioning Israel’s historical legitimacy, defending pro‑Palestinian campus protests, and challenging the firm’s handling of activist law students.
She has faced criticism for failing to label a fatal firebombing attack in Boulder, Colorado, as antisemitic, which killed people marching in support of Israeli hostages.
Her victory, said Ashik Siddique, co‑chairman of the Democratic Socialists of America, “is part of a pattern of our democratic socialist politics resonating across the country. It just shows that Americans want politicians who will address the cost of living with universal policies that apply to everybody.” Ms. Kiros is a member of that organization.
If she wins in November, as is expected, Ms. Kiros will join a growing caucus of left‑wing Democrats in Congress advocating universal single‑payer health care, bans on corporate campaign donations, and an end to U.S. support for Israel. Her campaign received a boost from an endorsement by Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
A longtime progressive, Ms. DeGette chairs a powerful subcommittee overseeing health care and has pledged to advance “Medicare for All” should Democrats regain the House. She campaigned heavily on her liberal record, including a television ad featuring Representative Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez of New York praising her support for universal health care. Ms. Ocasio‑Cortez did not formally endorse any candidate in the race.
However, Ms. DeGette appeared increasingly out of step with her own district on issues such as American support for Israel and the acceptance of corporate donations to her campaign.
Ms. DeGette has previously described herself as a “strong supporter” of Israel. Her campaign received a late boost from outside spending, including contributions from groups linked to pro‑Israel PACs. Ms. Kiros contended that those donations made her opponent beholden to special interests instead of her constituents.
Denver and its suburbs are considerably younger and more diverse than they were when Ms. DeGette first won the seat in 1996.
