Voters in Colorado’s Democratic primaries are considering a question the party has increasingly faced nationally: whether to support a younger, more progressive generation of leaders or stick with established veterans. In the 1st Congressional District, which covers Denver, incumbent Rep. Diana DeGette is being challenged by 29-year-old democratic socialist Melat Kiros.
Primary Results
Kiros was leading DeGette with an estimated 73% of the vote counted. Elsewhere in the state, Sen. John Hickenlooper successfully fended off a primary challenge from state Sen. Julie Gonzales, who described herself as an ‘insurgent progressive.’ In the governor’s race, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser won after struggling to distinguish his agenda from that of U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet.
The primary results have implications for the balance of power in the state and potentially in the nation. Colorado’s 8th Congressional District, a swing district, may help decide control of the House. State Rep. Manny Rutinel, who had the more progressive record, won the Democratic primary in that district.
Democratic Socialists on the Rise
Democratic socialists have another shot in Denver, where Kiros is challenging DeGette. Kiros had the endorsement of Sen. Bernie Sanders, while DeGette was backed by Colorado’s established Democratic House delegation. A victory by Kiros would work toward cementing the nascent but clear uprising of democratic socialist candidates.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
