Melat Kiros unseated Democrat Congresswoman Diana DeGette in Colorado’s 1st District.
Melat Kiros, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) who blamed the US for 9/11, has won the Democrat primary for Colorado’s first congressional district for the House of Representatives, unseating incumbent Democrat Congresswoman Diana DeGette.
Kiros backs plans for socialized, federal housing, a $21/hour minimum wage, free health care and transit, free child care. She claims that free health care for all would “pay for itself.”
Ahead of Colorado’s election, Kiros, a member of the DSA was endorsed by socialist Sentor Bernie Sanders (I-VT) as well as Rep. Ro Khana (D-CA). Kiros, 29, was born in 1997, around the same time as when DeGette, 68, was first elected to office. She was brought to the US from Ethiopia by her parents in 1998.
Kiros won the primary despite previously saying that the 9/11 attacks against the US were “an inevitable consequence” of US foreign policy.
The win from Kiros highlights a rising pattern around the country. Leading up the election, there were a number of other socialists who unseated other incumbent Democrats. In New York’s primary, three candidates backed by socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani as well as the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) took wins, Claire Valdez, Darializa Avila Chevalier, and Brad Lander.
Chevalier defeated Democrat incumbent Adriano Espaillat, the 71-year-old Congressional Hispanic Caucus chair and the first Dominican American elected to the U.S. House in New York’s 13th District. In the Empire State’s 10th District, socialist Brad Lander was able to unseat incumbent Congressman Dan Goldman whose claim to fame was impeaching Trump.
Although he lost the primary in Utah, socialist candidate Liban Mohamed was able to beat establishment Democrat Ben McAdams in at the Utah Democratic convention, gaining the most delegate votes.
Kiros’ father was selected by the US immigration lottery and was able to come to the US. That same year, DeGett took office and has been a 15-term incumbent since.
Kiros pursued a law degree and a career in corporate law before she was fired from Sidley Austin in 2023 for blasting them on social media over their ties to Israel. The far-left socialist has made opposition to Israel a key component of her policy proposals.
