Democratic congressional candidate Melat Kiros speaks to supporters at an election-night watch party after winning the Colorado primary on June 30, 2026, in Denver, Colorado. Kiros defeated incumbent Rep. Diana DeGette in the Democratic primary.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images via AFP
Democratic socialist Melat Kiros defeated 15-term U.S. Representative Diana DeGette on Tuesday (June 30, 2026) in the Democratic primary in a Denver-area district, according to U.S. media projections, the latest victory of an insurgent leftist over an establishment Democrat.
Ms. Kiros, a 29-year-old former attorney who was fired after refusing to remove a controversial post that criticised law firms for their stance on Israel and Palestine, has called Israel’s actions in Gaza genocide.
The race was called by multiple media outlets with 78% of the vote counted, with Ms. Kiros carrying a nearly 7,000-vote lead over Ms. DeGette.
Ms. Kiros, who moved to the U.S. from Ethiopia as a baby, faced controversy over her criticism of Democrats who support Israel and her alliance with socialist political commentator Hasan Piker, whose rhetoric critics have described as offensive and crude. She is favoured to win November’s election in the overwhelmingly Democratic district.
Ms. Kiros is the latest democratic socialist to oust an incumbent this summer. In New York City, three candidates with ties to the Democratic Socialists of America and endorsed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani won their primaries.
Published – July 01, 2026 12:17 pm IST