Colorado primary election results: Melat Kiros wins – key takeaways
Melat Kiros defeated Diana DeGette, who has been in office for as long as the 29-year-old Kiros has been alive. Anti-establishment progressives saw off some
Melat Kiros defeated Diana DeGette, who has been in office for as long as the 29-year-old Kiros has been alive. Anti-establishment progressives saw off some seasoned office-holders in Democratic primary contests in the US state of Colorado on Tuesday, as the party struggles with an internal battle over how far to the left it can shift without ruining its prospects for taking control of US Congress in November mid-term elections. The big surprise of the night was the defeat in Colorado’s first district of incumbent member of the House of Representatives Progressive Caucus Dianna DeGette by a 29-year-old labour rights activist and lawyer, Melat Kiros. More broadly, the primary ballots are widely seen as an indicator of which key issues are motivating US voters. Here are some key takeaways from Colorado’s Tuesday ballots Similar to what happened in New York’s primaries, voters delivered a blow to moderate Democrats, while leftist candidates made gains. Kiros, who moved to the US from Ethiopia as a baby, beat DeGette in the Denver area despite being outgunned more than 2-1 in terms of funding and having called for a full arms embargo on Israel for even defensive weapons. DeGette is in favour of sending defensive weapons.
Kiros was fired from her job after refusing to delete a social media post that criticised law firms for their stance on Israel and Palestine and has called Israel’s actions in Gaza a genocide. Her win is being seen as a stunning victory for a first-time candidate against a nearly 30-year incumbent, and a major win for the Democratic Socialists of America. Kiros, who won more than double the votes DeGette did, is expected to win against the Republicans in November and reach Congress in January. A smaller divide separated the two Democrats competing for the House of Representatives seat in the 8th District. The candidate considered more progressive, State Representative Manny Rutinel, won over former state Representative Shannon Bird. However, Democratic Senator John Hickenlooper saw off a primary challenge by self-described “insurgent progressive” state Senator Julie Gonzales. Progressives could flip a district Colorado’s 8th Congressional District is relatively new, stretching from the northern suburbs of Denver up through farming country, and has flipped party control in recent elections. Rutinel, a progressive, is now in a position to vie for a Republican-held US House of Representatives seat in the midterm election on November 3. This is a race that could help determine whether Democrats win control of the 435-seat chamber that is narrowly held by Republicans.
The BriefWire