Politics in-house USA - a report from Emgage

 

Colorado Democrats picked a democratic socialist (and not one from NYC!) to unseat a 30 year incumbent, chose a new nominee for governor, and set the stage for a top midterm House race. Also we’ll revisit Louisiana's Senate runoffs from June 27, which set the November matchup to replace embattled incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy. Primary elections are often the most important in an election cycle, but too many Americans don’t bother to vote in them. Emgage Action’s goal is to help Muslims stay informed and engaged! TELL YOUR FRIENDS TO SUBSCRIBE HERE

COLORADO U.S. House: District 1 Melat Kiros, a 29 year old democratic socialist and first time candidate, defeated 15 term Rep. Diana DeGette in the Democratic primary for Colorado's 1st District (Denver). DeGette, who was first elected before 29-year-old Kiros was born, lost 51% - 42%. Born in Addis Ababa and raised in Colorado with her family, Kiros went to law school at Notre Dame.  Notably, she was fired from a law firm in 2023 after refusing to take down an article defending pro-Palestinian student protesters. Kiros highlighted the genocide throughout the race, calling for an arms embargo against Israel and suspending funding for the Iron Dome, while DeGette voted to fund Israeli missile defense. It looks like outside groups spent at least more than $1 million in the primary's final weeks to defeat Kiros. Pro-Choice Majority Action, a newly formed PAC, appears to be funded through a chain of pass-through PACs that link back to AIPAC, according to federal campaign finance records. We won’t know how much was spent in the race until campaign finance reports are filed.  Because the district is overwhelmingly Democratic, Kiros becomes the clear favorite to win in November and would become Colorado's first Black woman elected to Congress. U.S. Senate Incumbent Sen. John Hickenlooper defeated progressive state Sen. Julie Gonzales in the Democratic primary. Although Hickenlooper prevailed, Gonzales mounted a stronger challenge than many expected, reflecting continued pressure from the party's progressive wing. Hickenlooper faces Republican state Sen. Mark Baisley in November and has said this will most likely be his final campaign for elected office.  Governor Attorney General Phil Weiser defeated current U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet for the Democratic nomination to succeed term limited Gov. Jared Polis. Although both candidates are considered mainstream Democrats, Weiser successfully argued he was more of a fighter, and better positioned to challenge the Trump administration through the courts, highlighting his record of lawsuits against the administration. Bennet, a centrist Democrat, holds his Senate seat through this term, which ends in 2028.  U.S. House: District 8 State Rep. Manny Rutinel defeated former state Rep. Shannon Bird for the Democratic nomination in the battleground 8th District (northern Denver suburbs). Rutinel, a progressive candidate, won a campaign that focused heavily on immigration in a district that is nearly 40 percent Latino. Rutinel will face GOP Rep. Gabe Evans, who reported $3.4 million on hand to Rutinel's $910,000, in one of the most competitive House races in the country. LOUISIANA UPDATE U.S. Senate On the Republican side, Rep. Julia Letlow defeated state Treasurer John Fleming for the GOP Senate nomination. Letlow won with 57 percent of the vote after polling suggested a tightening race heading into the weekend. She was endorsed by President Trump and Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry. This follows the ouster of Sen. Bill Cassidy, who came in third in the May primary and became one of two incumbent senators to lose renomination in 2026, along with John Cornyn of Texas, and the first elected Republican senator to lose renomination since Richard Lugar in 2012. Cassidy had drawn Trump's anger for voting to convict him in his second impeachment trial, along with his short-lived voting support of the War Powers Act for a few hours.  On the Democratic side, Jamie Davis, a Tensas Parish farmer and former parish official, defeated New Orleans businessman Gary Crockett. Davis captured about 80 percent of the vote and led in every parish. Davis's win is historic, as it made him the first Black U.S. Senate finalist in Louisiana since Reconstruction. Louisiana has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 2008, so Davis faces a steep general election climb against Letlow. WHY IT MATTERS Kiros's win extends a pattern that we saw starting in New York. Progressive candidates emphasizing affordability, organizing, and a tougher stance on Gaza continue to find success against long established incumbents. Primary challengers are unseating incumbents at least partly over U.S. support for Israel, and doing it now in a state well outside the coasts.  AIPAC is still trying to beat strong candidates. Pro-Choice Majority Action link to AIPAC comes from Time's reporting on campaign finance records and full donor disclosure isn't due until the FEC's mid-July deadline.  People want a fighter. Weiser's win over a sitting centrist senator signals Colorado Democrats wanted a nominee seen as more combative toward the Trump administration, a dynamic that has shown up in other 2026 gubernatorial primaries. Louisiana is a reminder that not every 2026 story is about the left. Cassidy's ouster shows Trump's endorsement leverage still works forcefully in deep red primaries, even against sitting senators. Taken together, this week's results continue two defining themes of the 2026 cycle: growing energy behind insurgent progressive candidates inside Democratic primaries, and Republican voters largely remaining aligned with Trump's preferred candidates in red states.