29-year-old Melat Kiros topples 15-term Rep Diana DeGette in major Colorado Democratic upset

WASHINGTON, DC: Twenty-nine-year-old democratic socialist Melat Kiros defeated 15-term Democratic Rep Diana DeGette in Colorado's primary on Tuesday, June 30, delivering one of the party's biggest incumbent upsets this election cycle.

The result underscored growing support among Democratic primary voters for younger progressive challengers over longtime party leaders. It also all but guarantees Kiros a seat in Congress from Denver's heavily Democratic 1st Congressional District.

Melat Kiros ends Diana DeGette's long run

As per the Guardian, Kiros unseated DeGette, who first entered Congress in 1997, the same year Kiros was born in Ethiopia.

“After graduating from the University of Notre Dame Law School in 2022, Kiros was fired from a New York law firm after refusing to remove a blog post rejecting claims that law students protesting Israel's response to the October 7 attacks were antisemitic,” the report said.

She later launched her congressional campaign and secured endorsements from Sen Bernie Sanders, the Democratic Socialists of America, and Justice Democrats.

Justice Democrats celebrated the result, saying Kiros had "built a movement that inspired Denverites to remember they themselves have the power to transform what kind of Democratic Party they want to be represented by."

The group's executive director, Alexandra Rojas, added, "Melat and our candidates continue winning this cycle because Democratic voters are finally getting leaders acting on their demands to bring the fight to the corporations raising our prices, the war lobbies profiting off endless war & g***cide, and the immigration gestapo te****izing our communities."

Israel stance became central campaign issue

Kiros framed her campaign as a generational challenge to the 68-year-old DeGette, even though the incumbent had backed progressive priorities, including Medicare for All and abolishing ICE, the report stated.

She also made US policy toward Israel a central campaign issue. In an interview with Colorado Public Radio, Kiros accused Israel of carrying out "a g***cide" in Gaza and called for the United States to impose an arms embargo.

DeGette opposed sending offensive weapons to Israel but said she believes the country "has a right to exist and defend itself."

DeGette's campaign also criticized comments Kiros made about a 2025 fireb**bing attack on pro-Israel demonstrators in Boulder.

Asked whether she considered the attack antisemitic, Kiros 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. I don't even know what the people who were at that protest believed, too."

Colorado primaries favor progressive challengers

The anti-Washington mood extended beyond Denver. In Colorado's gubernatorial primary, Attorney General Phil Weiser defeated Sen Michael Bennet after criticizing him for not taking a tougher line against President Donald Trump's Cabinet nominees.

Progressive state Rep Manny Rutinel also defeated a more moderate Democrat to advance in the state's most competitive House race, while Sen John Hickenlooper turned back a progressive challenge from state Sen Julie Gonzales to secure renomination.

Hickenlooper will face Republican state Sen Mark Baisley, who ran unopposed for his party's nomination.