As we've been noting of late, the Democrats have a problem: socialists are on the move. The latest - in a striking upset, democratic socialist Melat Kiros defeated 15-term U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette in Tuesday's Democratic primary for Colorado's 1st Congressional District. The victory extends a recent winning streak for the party's left wing and hands Republicans fresh ammunition heading into the fall campaign.
Democratic socialist Melat Kiros (L) ousted 15-term Rep. Diana DeGette in Tuesday's Democratic primaryKiros, a 29-year-old former attorney, defeated the 68-year-old incumbent who has represented the Denver-based seat since 1997. DeGette, a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, had long been viewed as secure in the solidly Democratic district. Kiros's win, backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders and the Democratic Socialists of America, came just one week after the DSA notched several high-profile primary victories in New York City.
The result is likely to intensify internal Democratic tensions. While party leaders sought to minimize last week's New York outcomes, Kiros's success in a Western swing state makes it harder to dismiss the pattern as a purely local phenomenon confined to deep-blue urban strongholds.
According to Axios, Dems are freaking out.
Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) was a staunch prog
