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● InformationalElections / Campaigns

Live Colorado election results: Can progressives knock off Dem incumbents?

DeGette lost the Colorado 1st District Democratic primary to challenger Melat Kiros.

Live Colorado election results: Can progressives knock off Dem incumbents?
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This article1 analysis · Oct 5, 2026

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Republished from USA Today, with credit to the original publisher.

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13 stories · 79–84 · updated Oct 5, 2026

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Yahoo Newsvia USA Today
Jun 30, 2026
tl;dr

Colorado’s June 30 primaries produced several notable results: Melat Kiros defeated Rep. Diana DeGette, Sen. John Hickenlooper beat Julie Gonzales, and Phil Weiser defeated Sen. Michael Bennet in the Democratic gubernatorial primary. The results point to a split picture for progressive challengers and Democratic incumbents.

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

SWIPE →
Diana DeGette
D · CO-1

Colorado representative who lost the Democratic primary for her House seat

PRIMARY SUBJECT
John W. Hickenlooper
D · CO · SEN

Colorado senator who won the Democratic Senate nomination

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

Colorado senator who lost the Democratic gubernatorial primary

Bennet's version of this story ↗

Democratic House candidate who won the Colorado 1st District primary

Kiros's version of this story ↗
Jared Polis
Former U.S. Representative (D-CO)

Colorado governor whose commutation of Tina Peters’ sentence drew political criticism

Jeff Crank
R · CO-5

Colorado representative and Republican candidate running unopposed

Colorado state representative who won the Democratic nomination for the 8th Congressional District

Donald Trump
R · President of the United States

President who endorsed Jeff Hurd and met Tina Peters

Former president mentioned in connection with Tina Peters’s denial of the 2020 election result

Colorado representative and Republican incumbent in the 4th Congressional District

Cory Gardner
Former U.S. Senator (R-CO)

Former Colorado senator mentioned as the state’s last Republican senator

Bernie Sanders
I · VT · SEN

Senator who backed Melat Kiros

Ron Hanks
R · CO

Former Colorado state representative who lost the Republican primary for the 3rd Congressional District

Jeff Hurd
R · CO-3

Colorado representative who won the Republican nomination for the 3rd Congressional District

Republican candidate who dropped out of the 3rd District primary

New York candidate mentioned as having defeated Daniel Goldman

Democratic write-in candidate for Colorado’s 4th Congressional District

Colorado state senator seeking the Republican gubernatorial nomination

Democratic nominee for Colorado’s 4th Congressional District

New York representative mentioned as a comparison in the account of DeGette’s race

Colorado state senator who challenged John Hickenlooper in the Democratic Senate primary

Gabe Evans
R · CO-8

Colorado representative and Republican nominee in the 8th Congressional District

Former Colorado state representative who lost the Democratic nomination for the 8th Congressional District

Republican Senate candidate who ran unopposed for his party’s nomination

ALSO MENTIONED  Phil Weiser, Colorado attorney general who won the Democratic gubernatorial primary; Scott Bottoms, Colorado state representative seeking the Republican gubernatorial nomination; Tina Peters, Former Mesa County clerk whose sentence was commuted by Jared Polis; Victor Marx, Republican gubernatorial candidate

Part of a bigger story

19 OUTLETS
Melat Kiros Defeats Diana DeGette in Colorado Democratic Primary

Melat Kiros defeated Diana DeGette in Colorado’s Democratic primary, ending DeGette’s bid for another House term after nearly three decades in Congress. Left-leaning outlets frame the victory as progressive momentum challenging Democratic establishment incumbents, while some pre-election coverage focused on challengers’ platforms, outside spending and policy disputes. Center outlets report the result alongside other Colorado primaries, describing a mixed picture for progressive challengers and incumbents. Right-leaning outlets stress Kiros’s socialist identity and present the win as part of a broader ideological shift within the Democratic Party, with some emphasizing its potential political implications.

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