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.
Comments
Post a Comment