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● InformationalElections / Campaigns

Progressives sweep Colorado Democratic Party primaries

DeGette lost her Democratic primary to Kiros after serving in Congress for 30 years.

Progressives sweep Colorado Democratic Party primaries
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Outlet credibilityPeople's World51/100 MEDIUM
This article1 analysis · Oct 5, 2026
tl;dr

Progressive candidates won several Colorado Democratic primaries, including Melat Kiros’s upset of Rep. Diana DeGette and Manny Rutinel’s victory over Shannon Bird. Sen. John Hickenlooper won his primary, while Sen. Michael Bennet lost the Democratic gubernatorial primary to Phil Weiser.

Community verdict

VOTING CLOSED
How does this story look for
Diana DeGette D · CO-1
NOT RATEDCLOSED

No good or bad look here

This story reports what happened without casting DeGette in a good or bad light, so readers don’t rate it and it doesn’t count toward DeGette’s record.

● INFORMATIONAL

People in this story

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Diana DeGette
D · CO-1

Incumbent representative defeated by Kiros in the Democratic primary

PRIMARY SUBJECT

Democratic congressional candidate who defeated Shannon Bird in the primary

Rutinel's version of this story ↗

Democratic congressional candidate who defeated Diana DeGette in the primary

Kiros's version of this story ↗
Michael F. Bennet
D · CO · SEN

Senator who lost the Democratic gubernatorial primary to Phil Weiser

Donald Trump
R · President of the United States

President whose opposition to mail voting was discussed as a campaign issue

Bernie Sanders
I · VT · SEN

Senator who supported Kiros’s campaign

John W. Hickenlooper
D · CO · SEN

Senator who won the Democratic Senate primary

State senator and Democratic Senate candidate defeated by Hickenlooper

Gabe Evans
R · CO-8

Republican incumbent expected to face Rutinel in November

Democratic congressional candidate defeated by Rutinel

ALSO MENTIONED  Amanda Gonzalez, Jefferson County clerk and recorder who won the Democratic secretary of state primary; Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli prime minister mentioned in the article’s description of AIPAC; Jessie Danielson, State senator and Democratic candidate defeated by Amanda Gonzalez; Juliana Griswold, Term-limited Colorado secretary of state mentioned in connection with the open-seat race; Michael Bloomberg, Former New York City mayor associated with a committee that provided outside money for Bennet; Pat Schroeder, Former representative mentioned as DeGette’s predecessor; Phil Weiser, State attorney general who defeated Bennet in the Democratic gubernatorial primary; Wanda Davis, Third candidate in the Democratic congressional primary won by Kiros

Part of a bigger story

25 OUTLETS
Melat Kiros Defeats Diana DeGette in Colorado Democratic Primary

Outlets agree that Melat Kiros defeated longtime U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette in Colorado’s Democratic primary for the 1st Congressional District. Left-leaning outlets present the win as progressive momentum and voter rejection of party-establishment candidates, with some stressing Palestine or outside spending. Center outlets mostly report the upset factually and place it among progressive gains and other Colorado results. Right-leaning outlets cast it as evidence of a wider socialist shift in the Democratic Party, often as a cause for concern.

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