Melat Kiros' chances of ousting Diana DeGette after 30 years in office

Democratic socialist Melat Kiros is hoping to unseat Representative Diana DeGette in the Democratic primary for Colorado’s 1st Congressional District on Tuesday to give the political left another victory after a series of wins in New York.

Progressives and Democratic socialists ran up the score in New York’s Democratic primaries last week. Left-wing Democrats unseated two incumbents and won another open House seat, with the support of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Tuesday’s primary between Kiros and DeGette is the next litmus test for the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), as they hope to extend their influence beyond New York and into other corners of the country.

The race pits DeGette, who has represented the Denver area for nearly 30 years, against Kiros, a political newcomer who is a member of the DSA and has received the backing of independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.

The issue of Israel has loomed over the race. While DeGette is viewed as progressive on many issues, her support for Israel has drawn scrutiny from the left, potentially leaving her vulnerable to a more left-wing challenger, progressives believe.

Newsweek reached out to the DeGette and Kiros campaigns via email for comment.

Although the race is another high-profile primary, only one poll has been made public.

The survey, conducted by Data for Progress on behalf of Justice Democrats, a PAC supporting Kiros, showed Kiros with a narrow lead over the incumbent Democrat. Forty-one percent of respondents said they planned to vote for Kiros, compared to 36 percent voting for DeGette. It surveyed 307 likely voters from June 11-15, according to The New York Times.

Kiros is favored in prediction markets heading into Election Day. She had a 79 percent chance of victory on both Kalshi and Polymarket as of Monday morning.

Prediction markets allow traders to buy and sell contracts tied to political outcomes and current events, aggregating real‑money wagers into probability estimates. Prices fluctuate as traders react to polling, fundraising, candidate developments and broader political trends. They measure trader sentiment at a given moment but do not always accurately predict the future.

Colorado’s 1st District is among the most progressive in the country. It is based around the capital, Denver, a Democratic stronghold, and backed former Vice President Kamala Harris by nearly 56 percent in the 2024 election.

Progressive groups view the seat as one of their top opportunities to unseat a sitting Democratic member of Congress in this year’s midterms. It has become a popular city for millennials, who tend to be more progressive, giving the left hope about their chances in this seat.

Support for Israel has been a sticking point in the primary. Kiros says she was fired from a top law firm after she wrote an article defending students’ critiques of Israel and has made her criticism of the U.S. relationship with Israel a key part of her campaign.

However, she has faced criticism from some Democrats for declining to call an attack on a Jewish community rally in Boulder last year antisemitic. She told 9News, “I don’t know what was in the heart of the perpetrator. All I know is that he went and attacked innocent people because of what they might have believed, and I don’t even know what the people that were at that protest believed, too.”

DeGette has faced criticism for being more supportive of Israel, though she did vote against the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act because she “would not support additional offensive weapon sales to Israel that could be used against innocent Palestinians.”

While Kiros has cast herself as a candidate who can bring change to Congress, DeGette has emphasized her experience serving in Congress since 1997. A PAC called Mile High Accountability Project opposing Kiros has argued that “Donald Trump loves Democrats like Kiros.” The PAC has spent $350,000 on ads opposing her, according to The Colorado Sun. In total, PACs have spent more than $1 million to help shore up DeGette, according to the newspaper.

Kiros responded to the ad campaign, pushing back against attack ads claiming that she “just isn’t Denver.”

“I grew up here. This is my home. Nothing DeGette or these super PACs say can ever take that away from me or my family,” she said.

The Colorado primary comes only one week after progressives celebrated several victories in New York’s races.

State legislator Claire Valdez won an open seat held by Representative Nydia Velázquez, who has served in Congress since 1993. Activist Darializa Avila Chevalier, meanwhile, unseated Representative Adriano Espaillat—a rare moment when an incumbent, particularly one who had not faced any major scandals, loses to an insurgent challenger. Both are members of the DSA.

Meanwhile, former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander unseated Democratic Representative Dan Goldman. Although Lander is not a member of the DSA, he is viewed as closely aligned with Mamdani and the more progressive choice in the primary.

All three are expected to easily win in November, as their districts are solidly Democratic.

Progressives have seen some strong results in primaries amid an anti-Trump fury and frustration with the way Democratic leadership has approached Trump. Many Democrats have pushed for a more forceful response and have called for new leadership over Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer or House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both of New York.

But their victories have not been celebrated by all Democrats, as parts of the establishment are working to push back against the DSA insurgency.

For instance, a group of centrist Democrats has rebuked the party’s most progressive wing, signing onto a new centrist initiative called “Promise to America,” which vows to “reject” socialism and back strong borders, capitalism, and patriotism.

Progressives, however, have continued to celebrate the victories, hoping it represents a turning point in their yearslong feud with the Democratic establishment.

“Our movement is growing because working people are fed up with the high cost of rent and groceries and medical bills. They know we deserve good union jobs, affordable rent, dignified lives. They’re ready to try something else—socialism,” the DSA wrote in a social media post last week.

Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Jenni Fink and Sam Wilson.