Colorado primary: Democratic socialist Melat Kiros defeats 15-term incumbent Diana DeGette

The DSA had been aiming to cast DeGette’s loss as evidence of its growing momentum after a slate of socialist candidates won Democratic primaries in New York City last week.

The victory of Kiros came a week after New York voters unseated two Democratic congressional incumbents and replaced a third who was retiring with candidates who had campaigned on standing up to Israel amid accusations that it was carrying out a genocide in Gaza.

Adriano Espaillat and Dan Goldman were ousted in a dramatic show of the left’s growing strength.

A member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and a longtime supporter of Medicare for All, she has nevertheless become a target for activists who argue she has moved too close to the party establishment because she supported corporate political action committees and her record on Israel-related votes.