STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
A democratic socialist in Colorado has defeated a 15-term member of Congress.
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
That is just one of the upsets in the state's primary results Tuesday night.
INSKEEP: And Colorado Public Radio's Caitlyn Kim is here to tell us about it. Caitlyn, good morning.
CAITLYN KIM, BYLINE: Good morning.
INSKEEP: OK. Wow. Political newcomer Melat Kiros defeated the long-term representative, Diana DeGette. Tell us more about Kiros.
KIM: So Melat Kiros is a 29-year-old democratic socialist. She's a lawyer who got fired for a post she wrote that criticized Israel over its actions in Gaza, and she hasn't apologized for that, you know, making several comments defending pro-Palestinian activists. So after that experience, she decided to challenge Democratic Congresswoman Diana DeGette, who's been her representative for her entire life.
INSKEEP: Yeah.
KIM: Now, Denver is a deep-blue district, and she's expected to have a smooth glide path to Congress. But I will add, she's also really fired up voters here in the city who were looking for change, especially generational change. This is what she had to say at her victory party.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
MELAT KIROS: Denver voters of all ages, of all races, of all religions sent a clear message - we will not wait.
(SOUNDBITE OF AIR HORNS BLARING)
INSKEEP: Were those vuvuzelas there at the end?
KIM: I think those are air horns, actually.
INSKEEP: Air horns. OK. Thank you.
KIM: (Laughter) But she was - you know, and she's also criticized the current leaders of the Democratic Party, like Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries.
INSKEEP: OK. Couple of aspects to this win. One is her youth - a 29-year-old beating a member of Congress who'd been there for almost 30 years - but it's also the label democratic socialist. How much did that play a role here?
KIM: I think there are definitely younger voters in Denver who want to see their Congress person take more progressive stances - Medicare for all, ending aid to Israel. They just want more of a fighter, someone who will bring fresh ideas to Congress. But a lot of voters I spoke with also just thought it was well past time for DeGette to pass the baton.
You know, Republicans are already using Kiros' win to say Democrats in the state have moved too far left. But I'd actually use a Republican example. In 2020, Lauren Boebert came out of nowhere to challenge and beat a long-term Colorado incumbent whose constituents didn't think he was fighting enough or vocal enough. And now she's probably one of the most vocal and well-known Republicans in Congress. Now, the question here is will Kiros take on a similar role for Democrats?
INSKEEP: I want to ask about another primary in Colorado. Michael Bennet - Democratic senator, well-known Democrat, ran for president at one time, ran for governor and lost in the primary. What happened?
KIM: Yes. The other big theme of the night was, I think, an anti-Washington one, and Bennet suffered from that. You know, he's been in the Senate since 2009. And people were asking, you know, what had he done? And more to the point, what had he done recently to fight Trump?
I will add, a lot of voters like both Bennet and primary winner Phil Weiser. You know, their policy stances were not very different. They're cut from the same political cloth. Weiser's team actually came up with an effective slogan - Weiser for governor, Bennet for the Senate. And for voters who like both, you know, this was a way to have them both. Bennet's Senate seat is not up for reelection until 2028. As for the Republican primary for governor in Colorado, you know, that race is still too close to call.
INSKEEP: One other question here. Colorado has one of the toss-up seats that could decide the House. What happened there?
KIM: Manny Rutinel, a young state lawmaker with Latino heritage, beat out a more moderate candidate to face GOP incumbent Gabe Evans, who also has Hispanic roots. You know, this is expected to be a tough and expensive general election race.
INSKEEP: OK. Colorado Public Radio's Caitlyn Kim in Denver. Thanks for a lot of important updates. Really appreciate it.
KIM: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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