A first-time candidate running as a democratic socialist has ousted one of the longest-serving Democrats in Congress. Melat Kiros defeated U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette in the Democratic primary for Colorado's 1st Congressional District, as Trending Politics reported, marking yet another insurgent victory over an establishment incumbent.
DeGette had held the seat since 1997, making her a 15-term incumbent. A third candidate, Wanda James, also appeared on the ballot. Decision Desk HQ called the race for Kiros at 10:31 PM EDT on July 1, 2026.
Kiros, 29, was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and came to the United States with her family in 1998 as an infant. She grew up in the Denver area. Before launching her campaign, she worked as a lawyer, including a stint at a New York City law firm that fired her in 2023 after she published an open letter criticizing the firm's response to the conflict in Israel and Gaza. She has also worked as a barista and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Colorado Denver School of Public Affairs.
She openly identifies as a democratic socialist and built a coalition of progressive endorsements, including U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, the Democratic Socialists of America, Justice Democrats, the Sunrise Movement, and Colorado State Senator Iman Jodeh.
Her policy platform leans heavily to the left. Kiros supports Medicare for All, a Housing First strategy for addressing homelessness, universal childcare, and an arms embargo on Israel. She has also called for dismantling U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and ending deportations entirely.
Several of her public statements have drawn sharp criticism. In one interview, she described the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks as "inevitable" given U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, and she appeared to suggest the country bore responsibility. She has doubled down on that position repeatedly throughout the campaign. She also refused to label a 2025 firebombing targeting Jewish protesters in Boulder as antisemitism, saying she could not determine the perpetrator's intent.
Kiros showed significant strength well before primary day. At the March 2026 Democratic assembly, she captured roughly 67% of the delegate vote compared to DeGette's 33%, securing her place on the ballot alongside the incumbent.
Colorado's 1st Congressional District covers nearly all of Denver and has a Cook Partisan Voter Index of D+29, placing it among the most heavily Democratic districts in the nation. No Republican has won the seat since the early 1970s, which means Tuesday's primary result all but guarantees Kiros will serve in Congress.
Her victory is part of a growing trend of far-left candidates knocking off Democratic incumbents in safe blue districts. In May, state Rep. Chris Rabb, a democratic socialist, won the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania's 3rd Congressional District by defeating several establishment-backed opponents. In New York, three self-described socialist candidates unseated sitting Democratic members of Congress with support from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
This wave of insurgent wins is creating real headaches for House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries. Multiple socialist primary winners have declined to pledge their support for Jeffries as speaker should Democrats reclaim the House majority, raising questions about party unity and the ideological direction of the caucus.
Read more breaking news stories at: Trending Politics News
