Tuesday’s primaries in Colorado mark the next front in the establishment-versus-insurgent battle playing out within the Democratic Party, one week after major victories for candidates in New York City backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani.Limited time: Save 25% on NBC News subscriptionGet exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading.Colorado’s Democratic primaries have flown more under the radar, but they feature three major contests where veteran Democrats are facing challengers who are aiming to capitalize on the party’s growing anti-Washington sentiment.Here’s what to watch for Tuesday night as the votes come in.
Polls close at 9 p.m.ET.Entrenched Colorado Democrats face primary hurdlesThe Democratic primary in Colorado’s 1st District represents the next best chance for the progressive wing of the party to pick up another win over an entrenched incumbent.
Rep.Diana DeGette, who has served in Congress for almost 30 years, is now fighting for political survival.
She has sought to burnish her progressive credentials, with one recent ad touting her role as an impeachment manager during President Donald Trump’s Senate trial after the Jan.6, 2021, riot at the Capitol, while also emphasizing her support for “Medicare for All” and abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Melot Kiros, a 29-year-old doctoral student and former lawyer who immigrated from Ethiopia as a child, has argued that the 68-year-old incumbent isn’t adequately fighting for the district.She is backed by key politicians and groups on the left, including Sen.
Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Justice Democrats, the Democratic Socialists of America and a handful of Democratic candidates who were successful in their insurgent bids.Israel policy has loomed large in the race.
Kiros has said she was fired from her job after publishing a letter critical of how law firms were addressing protests against Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip following the 2023 Hamas attack.Kiros was recently pr...