Melat Kiros to Represent Colorado 1st District After Primary Upset

Melat Kiros will join the U.S. House of Representatives as Colorado’s first socialist congresswoman, having secured the 1st District seat with nearly 79% of the vote as of 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3. The 29-year-old political newcomer defeated four candidates from opposing parties in a district that holds the largest share of Democratic voters in the state. Her path to the House began in June with a primary victory over incumbent Diana DeGette, a result that marked the first time a Democratic congressperson lost a primary in Colorado in over 50 years.

Kiros defeated DeGette, who served 15 terms and entered office the same year Kiros was born. The primary upset shifted the focus of the November race from the general election to the internal dynamics of the Democratic Party. Kiros describes the shift as a rejection of the status quo by voters in Denver. "Denver voters are through with settling for mediocrity and accepting the status quo. They are demanding more," she says. She argues that this new style of politics is winning, particularly among Colorado Democrats.

Since her primary win, Kiros has maintained a low profile while supporting other progressive candidates in competitive races across the country. She cites Tennessee’s Justin Pearson, California’s Mai Vang and Angela Gonzales-Torres, and Michigan’s Abdul El-Sayed, William Lawrence and Donavan McKinney as part of an electoral project rather than a single legislative victory. "I can’t walk in there and wave a magic wand to get Medicare for All," she says. "This has to be an electoral project." This summer saw multiple Democratic socialist candidates defeat establishment-backed Democrats in primaries, a trend opponents labeled the "summer of socialism." Kiros prefers the term "sexy socialist summer" but clarifies that policy resonance, not aesthetics, drove the victories.

Republican opponents in competitive congressional districts have used Kiros’s win to frame Democratic rivals as radicals. U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans warned on social media that left-wing radical socialist replacements were sweeping the country. Fellow House members Jeff Crank and Lauren Boebert echoed these sentiments, with Boebert calling the primary result a gift to Republicans. Mike McMacken, chair of the Denver Republican Party, says these positions create an opening for Republicans to present rational alternatives. While DSA’s national platform includes abolishing the Senate and bringing large corporations under public ownership, Kiros notes that members are ideologically diverse and united by the belief that capitalism is unjust.

Some Democratic candidates in other districts have kept distance from Kiros, citing specific comments she made regarding the Boulder firebombing attack and the 9/11 attacks. Shimon Blau, an independent candidate in the 1st District, entered the race after the primary, accusing Kiros of venturing into antisemitic rhetoric in her support for Palestine. Despite these criticisms, Kiros says she feels embraced by the party. She has spoken to every sitting member of Colorado’s Democratic delegation since June. Shad Murib, chair of the Colorado Democratic Party, notes that the party hosted a unity rally in July featuring both socialists and centrists. Murib states that a party capable of nominating both Sen. John Hickenlooper and Kiros offers voters a home. He adds that half of the delegates at the party’s last state assembly were first-timers, and 40% were under 40 years old.