Election Results Send Warning to Establishment

Another shakeup for establishment Democrats as Democrat Socialist Melat Kiros beat out 15-term incumbent Rep. Diana DeGette (CO-1) in Colorado’s midterm primary.

Is this a sign of the Democrat Party fracturing before our very eyes? And what does it mean for the 2026 midterm elections?

As reported by Fox News:

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. . . .  

If 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 impeachment trial in 2021.

Remember when socialism seemed like a fringe position, occupied by the likes of “the Squad” and Bernie Sanders? It certainly didn’t seem to represent the mainstream of the Democrat Party.

At best, the socialists might stir up some trouble now and then – become a bit of a headache for leadership in the House or in the Senate – but they seldom made that big a difference, other than some headlines and soundbites that showed how ridiculous their agendas are.

But then along comes the new mayor of New York City, Zohran Mandami, and you see a sweep by three socialist candidates in New York – backed by the mayor – who were able to pull upset victories against establishment Democrats. Think about that: New York just added three more socialists to the House. That should serve as a wake-up call for people.

And while much of the country was probably paying more attention to yesterday’s Supreme Court opinions, Rep. Dianna DeGette, a 30-year far-Left incumbent, was defeated 51.3% to 41.7% by 29-year-old socialist Melat Kiros in last night’s Colorado primary.

And DeGette was no middle-of-the-road Leftist. She was endorsed by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-7), Chair Emerita of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. She endorsed abolishing ICE. This is a very liberal member of Congress, and she has now lost the seat she’s held for 15 terms to an opponent who was born the same year she was first elected.

So this career politician was not liberal enough. At least not compared to Kiros, who reportedly appeared to defend Hamas and characterized both 9/11 and the October 7 terrorist attacks in Israel as “inevitable.” This is who voters in Colorado just chose to represent them in the midterms.

First New York, and now Colorado.

Is this a sign of a socialist wave rippling through the Democrat Party? It’s really starting to appear as if the party’s current leadership has completely lost control of the party’s future. Will they buckle to the socialist agenda?

Today’s Sekulow broadcast included more analysis of the surprising victory for socialism in Colorado last night. We’re also joined by ACLJ Senior Counsel CeCe Heil with an update on a critical case in Pakistan, where we’re fighting for Christian lives.

Watch the full broadcast below: