Rep.Diana DeGette, D-Colo., a 30-year incumbent, lost to a Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)-backed challenger in a high-profile primary on Tuesday evening.Melat Kiros, a 29-year-old socialist, defeated DeGette in a Democratic primary for a deep-blue House seat anchored in Denver, according to The Associated Press, scoring a major victory for the socialist left on Tuesday evening.The DSA had been aiming to cast DeGette’s loss as evidence of its growing momentum after a slate of socialist candidates won Democratic primaries in New York City last week."Today, the East Coast, next week the Mountain West," the DSA wrote in a social media post last week.Rep.
Diana DeGette speaks during a press conference outside the U.S.Capitol building in Washington, D.C., on Jan.
10, 2024.(Samuel Corum/Getty Images)SOCIALISTS CHEER ‘SHOCKWAVE’ PRIMARY NIGHT AS DSA-BACKED CANDIDATES WIN, ADVANCE ACROSS THE MAPIf elected in November, Kiros, who was born in Ethiopia, will likely join the ranks of the far-left group known as the Squad and become one of a handful of the House chamber's outspoken socialists. The millennial challenger was endorsed by Sen.
Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Rep.Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and the anti-incumbent leftist organization Justice Democrats.
Controversial socialist streamer Hasan Piker, who has said Hamas is "a thousand times better" than Israel and praised the Chinese Communist Party, also backed Kiros’ insurgent primary run.DeGette, a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus who supports abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), sought to win a 16th House term by flexing her leftist bona fides.She argued her seniority on an influential House committee would allow her to push for Medicare-for-All legislation — a longtime priority of the party’s far-left flank.DeGette, who was endorsed by former CPC Chairwoman Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., also spotlighted her experience as an impeachment manager during Trump’s second ...