Colorado primaries swing left as Bennet’s governor bid ends

Colorado primaries – Colorado Democrats pushed the party further left in the House primaries while a longtime Democratic senator’s governor bid ended. In Denver’s 1st District, Democratic socialist Melat Kiros won the nomination, setting up a November race that Democrats hope to f

For the third straight competitive moment in Colorado politics. Democrats made their message sting for “insiders” and offer something sharper instead. On Tuesday night, voters in Denver backed a democratic socialist to knock off a decades-long House incumbent. Somewhere else on the ballot, a Democratic Senator’s path to the governor’s mansion ended. And in a closely watched Latino-leaning House district. a progressive face moved closer to a November showdown that Democrats believe could help decide control of the chamber.

The most dramatic shift came in Colorado’s 1st Congressional District. Voters in Denver selected Melat Kiros. a 29-year-old political newcomer and a democratic socialist. as the Democratic nominee over longtime incumbent Rep. Diana DeGette, in a race called by the Associated Press. DeGette, who has served nearly 30 years in Congress and is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, was seeking re-election.

Kiros’s pitch to voters centered on changing the direction of leadership. She argued for a shift and framed her platform around working families, including universal health care, child care, and elder care. She also said she committed to not accepting any corporate PAC money.

Her win did not happen in isolation. It continued momentum for the Democratic Socialists of America, a movement that has been winning primaries beyond Colorado as well. Last week, DSA-backed candidates won two primaries in New York and several state assembly primaries. They also advanced to the November elections for mayor in Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles.

In Denver, another set of voters prepared to drop off primary ballots as the political stakes carried across races. In the heavily Democratic 5th Congressional District, Republican Christy Peterson, an office manager and accountant at a construction company, ran unopposed in her party’s primary.

But the real suspense for Democrats is concentrated in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District. one of only 18 districts in the country rated as a “toss up” by the Cook Political Report. The district runs from the northern Denver suburbs up into Greeley. Democrats believe flipping it blue could raise their chances of taking control of the House chamber in the midterms.

The House currently has 218 Republicans, 212 Democrats, an independent and four vacancies.

In Colorado’s 8th District, the November battle is set between incumbent Republican Rep. Gabe Evans and Democratic nominee Manny Rutinel, according to an Associated Press race call. Rutinel, who won the Democratic nomination, will face Evans after the Republican incumbent ran unopposed in the GOP primary.

The Democratic primary that produced Rutinel was between Rutinel and state Rep. Shannon Bird. The district is about 40 percent Latino. Rutinel leaned into his Dominican background and accused Bird of not being tough enough in opposing ICE. The candidates shared similar views on many issues. but Bird cast herself as less partisan and more representative of the district.

Even as national politics looms over these races, Colorado’s own political machinery is changing quickly. Incumbent Democratic Gov. Jared Polis is at his term limit. and Democrats selected Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser as their nominee to replace him. according to the Associated Press race call.

Weiser’s win came at the expense of Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet, who had been pursuing the governor’s office. Weiser and Bennet held similar views on issues. but each sought to portray himself as the tougher opponent to Trump administration policies. Bennet argued that if he became governor. he could choose his replacement in the Senate. and he said in a debate he would choose someone under 50 years old.

Weiser’s campaign, meanwhile, highlighted lawsuits he oversaw as attorney general, including collecting money from opioid producers and companies committing consumer fraud.

Bennet, who has two years left on his term in the Senate, has also been a familiar face in presidential politics—he was a candidate in the 2020 presidential primaries.

Across the aisle, Colorado’s gubernatorial picture is far less settled. On the Republican side, the race is too close to call. The contest includes state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, Marine Corps veteran Victor Marx, and state Sen. Scott Bottoms. It has been contentious.

Marx, who has never held elected public office, has a large social media following and led in fundraising. He has claimed to be a “high-risk humanitarian” who has rescued hostages and aided thousands overseas. His opponents accused him of lying about his background.

Taken together. the nights’ results left Democrats with a sense of momentum and urgency—progressives moving into the general-election phase. and a governor’s race remade by a fight between established power and a sharper message. In Colorado. where districts can tip and control of the House can hinge on a handful of seats. the primary results weren’t just votes for candidates. They were votes for the kind of politics the party thinks it needs to win in November.

Colorado primaries Melat Kiros Diana DeGette Phil Weiser Michael Bennet Jared Polis Gabe Evans Manny Rutinel Shannon Bird ICE Democratic Socialists of America House control Colorado governor race Victor Marx Barbara Kirkmeyer Scott Bottoms