Democratic socialist Melat Kiros will defeat Rep. Diana DeGette in another win for progressives, CNN projects

By Eric Bradner, David Wright, CNN

(CNN) — Progressives struck another blow against the Democratic establishment on Tuesday in Colorado, where CNN’s Decision projects that 29-year-old democratic socialist Melat Kiros will defeat incumbent Rep. Diana DeGette, who was first elected before Kiros was born, in a primary.

Kiros was the third progressive challenger to defeat a sitting House member in eight days, after two more won last week in New York.

And, after successes in mayor’s races, congressional primaries and more on both coasts, Kiros’ win showed the expanding geographical reach of the left-wing insurgency remaking the Democratic Party ahead of this year’s midterm elections — all as the 2028 presidential primary looms increasingly large.

The 1st District primary was the most surprising outcome on a day in which Colorado Democratic voters settled a series of battles over who will lead the party as term-limited Gov. Jared Polis departs.

Those voters opted to keep their two Democratic senators in the Senate, CNN’s Decision Desk projected. That was good news for Sen. John Hickenlooper, who fended off a challenge from the left. But it was bad news for Sen. Michael Bennet, who lost the party’s primary for governor to state attorney general Phil Weiser.

Weiser campaigned on confronting President Donald Trump more aggressively than Polis. The Republican primary to take on Weiser in November, meanwhile, was another nail-biter Tuesday night.

Democratic voters also chose their nominee in the battleground 8th District race, projected to pick a 31-year-old state lawmaker to take on a freshman Republican in what’s expected to be one of the nation’s most competitive races in the battle for House control.

See the live results for key races in Colorado below.

Progressives oust another House veteran

Kiros, who was endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, rode the wave of anti-establishment momentum that drove a series of upset victories for the party’s left-wing in New York earlier this month.

The contest exposed familiar fault lines, the candidates clashing over resistance to the Trump administration, economic policies, and Kiros’ vocal criticism of US relations with Israel.

DeGette leaned on her long record, arguing at a debate this month that “now is not the time to gamble and send somebody with no experience to Washington.” She was also backed by more than $1 million in outside spending, with ads criticizing Kiros as “extreme” and accusing her of making comments “laced with antisemitism.”

Kiros was fired from her law firm in 2023 after she published an open letter arguing that student protesters’ calls for the elimination of Israel should not be conflated with antisemitism. She faced scrutiny on the campaign trail after she refused to describe the firebombing of a group of protesters in Boulder calling for the release of Israeli hostages last year as antisemitic. Investigators previously said the perpetrator told police he was driven by a desire “to kill all Zionist people.”

“I don’t know what was in the heart of the perpetrator,” she told 9News. “All I know is that he went and attacked innocent people because of what they might have believed.”

Kiros, in turn, cast DeGette as part of a failed establishment. “The reality is Democrats have the worst approval rating we’ve had in decades, because we’ve failed to actually do anything for working people,” she argued at this month’s debate.

Over the weekend, Darializa Avila Chevalier, the democratic socialist who defeated the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in New York last week despite scrutiny over controversial posts, encouraged Denver residents to vote for Kiros. Both women are backed by the anti-corporate PAC group Justice Democrats and Kiros told CNN in an interview that she has spoken with Avila Chevalier.

The young democratic socialist is likely to join a slate of other upstart progressives in Congress next year, advancing as a favorite in the general election for the Denver-area district.

A Democratic nominee for governor who promises to take on Trump

The Democratic primary for Colorado governor was the latest evidence that Democratic voters are deeply dissatisfied with their party’s representation in Washington and eager for more confrontation with Trump. Voters chose Weiser over Bennet — even though the senator had long been viewed as the frontrunner to succeed the term-limited Gov. Jared Polis.

Bennet campaigned on what he said were bolder plans to take on climate change and expand health care access, including creating a state-run public health insurance option. But Weiser tied Bennet to Washington and noted that Bennet will retain his Senate seat. He said in a debate that what’s best for Colorado could fit on a bumper sticker: “Phil Weiser for governor, Michael Bennet for Senate.”

He also promised more confrontation with Trump and touted the dozens of lawsuits he has filed against the Trump administration. The Trump administration’s actions targeting Colorado — including moving the Space Command headquarters, attempting to disassemble ​the National Center for Atmospheric Research, denying disaster declaration requests, vetoing funding for a drinking water pipeline and more — left many Democrats hungry for a stronger response.

Weiser’s ads highlighted his efforts to stand up to what he calls a “lawless, bullying administration,” while portraying Bennet as supported by corporate honchos.

Weiser will be the clear favorite in November in a state Democrats won by double digits in the last two presidential elections. Republicans are choosing their nominee from a group that includes ministry leader Victor Marx, state Rep. Scott Bottoms and state Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer.

Hickenlooper fends off challenge from the left

Hickenlooper will win the Democratic primary for US Senate in Colorado, CNN’s Decision Desk projects, despite a spirited challenge from his left.

He defeated state Sen. Julie Gonzales, a 43-year-old progressive challenger, in a contest that served as proxy for the broader debate over the Democratic Party’s future.

The former Denver mayor and two-term governor leveraged decades of experience in Colorado politics to blunt the momentum of the anti-establishment left wing, touting his coalition-building approach while affirming his opposition to the Trump administration.

Gonzales, meanwhile, aligned herself with calls for generational change within the party, arguing that the 74-year-old incumbent’s “go-along-to-get-along, poll-tested incrementalist politics have not made Coloradans’ lives better,” while criticizing Hickenlooper for skipping debates and candidate forums.

And while Gonzales was endorsed by the national progressive group Indivisible and the state AFL-CIO, Hickenlooper’s financial advantage – outraising Gonzales several times over – and longstanding reputation was enough to overcome a spirited challenge.

Hickenlooper now advances to the general election as the favorite to retain his seat in solidly Democratic Colorado.

Democrats choose nominee in battleground House district

Colorado’s 8th District, where first-term Republican Rep. Gabe Evans won by less than a percentage point in 2024, is expected to be among the top Democratic targets this fall.

State Rep. Manny Rutinel will win the Democratic nomination to face Evans, CNN’s Decision Desk projects, defeating former state Rep. Shannon Bird.

Rutinel is a relative newcomer to Colorado, first arriving in 2020 to work on Hickenlooper’s Senate campaign and permanently moving there two years later after graduating from Yale Law School. In 2023, he was selected to fill a state House vacancy after the former officeholder was appointed to the state Senate.

Bird, 57, was viewed as among the more moderate Democrats in the legislature. The former Westminster City Council member and attorney was first elected in 2018 and resigned early this year to run for Congress.

The 8th District, which stretches from Denver’s northern suburbs to Greeley, includes a large share of Latino voters. On the campaign trail, Rutinel emphasized his roots as the son of an immigrant single mother from the Dominican Republic, and the contest was marked by clashes over immigration policy and legislative records.

CNN’s Arit John contributed to this report.

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This headline and story have been updated with additional developments.