Peterson, Kiros to square off in Denver’s congressional race

By Andrew Rice
The Center Square

Melat Kiros, a former lawyer and Democratic Socialist, will face off against Republican Christy Peterson in the 1st Congressional District in Denver.

Kiros, 29, overcame incumbent Diana DeGette, who was seeking a 16th term in Congress, to secure the Democratic Party’s nomination in Tuesday’s primary in Colorado. Her victory is part of a trend of some incumbents from the Democratic and Republican parties losing in this year’s primaries for congressional seats.

Kiros garnered 51.31% of the ballots or 67,959 votes as of Wednesday morning, according to the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office. Rep. DeGette, D-Denver, had 41.66% of the ballots or 55,179 votes. Fellow Democrat Wanda James was a distant third with just 7% of the ballots or 9,297 votes in the race for the 1st District, which consists entirely of the city of Denver.

Kiros and DeGette traded sharp barbs throughout the primary.

“Congresswoman Kiros will take the fight for a better world to D.C.: to Abolish ICE, free Palestine, and win Universal childcare and Medicare for All,” a statement from the Democratic Socialists of America reads.

Kiros was endorsed by Claire Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier, two Democratic Socialists who overcame incumbents in New York congressional districts on June 23.

Kiros immigrated to Denver in 1998 from Ethiopia. She has advocated for a U.S. arms embargo, childcare for all and Medicare for all.

“I’m interested in policies that expand our freedoms,” Kiros told Ballotpedia. “That includes the freedom to choose what we do for work, the freedom to travel freely, and the freedom to live and grow old with dignity.”

Peterson did not respond to The Center Square’s request for comments following the projection of Kiros’ win. She has focused her campaign on reducing crime and supporting the Trump administration’s efforts to aggressively pursue fraud in federal government programs.

“So-called ‘good’ programs are not helping people, they’re creating government dependency,” said Peterson, who now will run against Kiros in the Nov. 3 general election.

Kiros received more than $657,000 in campaign contributions, according to most recent Federal Elections Commission filings. She received a $5,000 donation from the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Active Ballot Club and numerous other donations through ActBlue, a Democratic campaign funding platform.

Peterson’s profile on the Federal Elections Commission website showed that she raised no money in connection with her campaign. The FEC did not respond to The Center Square’s request for comment on Peterson’s apparent lack of fundraising activity.

The rise of candidates associated with the Democratic Socialists of America has proven to show a divide within the Democratic Party. Kiros said she will not support any candidate for House speaker who takes money from corporations or political action committees.

U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, is widely regarded as a frontrunner for speakers if Democrats take control of the U.S. House of Representatives in November. Jeffries, the current minority leader, has more than $12 million in donations to his campaign and received contributions from Delta Air Lines Political Action Committee, Charter Schools Now PAC and the International Franchise Association PAC.

It is unclear the extent to which Democratic Socialists in Congress could determine the legislature’s agenda after November. Candidates with the group have experienced great success in metropolitan areas like Denver and New York City, but their broader influence is unclear.

“The [Democratic] party’s base voters – whether in a deep blue district, in a swing district or statewide – are eager to choose pugnacious D.C. outsiders, even if it creates a headache for the party in the fall and beyond,” analysts at The Cook Political Report wrote.