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Colorado primary election: Kiros ousts DeGette as progressives win big

DeGette lost her Democratic primary to challenger Melat Kiros after representing the Denver-area district for 29 years.

Colorado primary election: Kiros ousts DeGette as progressives win big
Image · The Denver Post

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This article1 analysis · Oct 5, 2026
tl;dr

Colorado’s June 30 Democratic primaries produced major upsets: Melat Kiros defeated Rep. Diana DeGette, and Phil Weiser defeated Sen. Michael Bennet in the gubernatorial race. Other races remained close or unresolved as results were still being counted.

Community verdict

VOTING CLOSED
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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

U.S. representative defeated in the Democratic primary

PRIMARY SUBJECT

Democratic primary winner in Colorado’s 1st Congressional District

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

U.S. senator defeated in the Democratic gubernatorial primary

State representative and Democratic primary winner in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District

Donald Trump
R · President of the United States

President referenced in Melat Kiros’s victory speech

John W. Hickenlooper
D · CO · SEN

U.S. senator and Democratic nominee for another term

Colorado state senator and Republican gubernatorial candidate

Colorado state senator and Democratic Senate candidate

Former lawmaker defeated in the Democratic primary for Colorado’s 8th Congressional District

ALSO MENTIONED  Andres Carrera, Candidate defeated by Chela Garcia Irlando; Chela Garcia Irlando, Candidate who won a primary for a soon-to-be-vacant state Senate seat; Dick Wadhams, Republican campaign operative and supporter of Barb Kirkmeyer; Gabriel Cervantes, Primary challenger who defeated state Rep. Jacque Phillips; Iris Halpern, Progressive candidate who defeated state Rep. Sean Camacho; Jacque Phillips, Thornton state representative defeated in a primary; Jamie Jackson, Colorado state representative who retained her seat in a primary; Kenny Nguyen, Colorado state representative who retained his seat in a primary; Phil Weiser, Colorado attorney general and Democratic gubernatorial primary winner; Scott Bottoms, Colorado state representative and Republican gubernatorial candidate; Sean Camacho, Colorado state representative defeated in a state legislative primary; Victor Marx, Republican gubernatorial candidate leading in an uncalled primary

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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