This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. It first appeared at cpr.org.
Melat Kiros completed her remarkable political ascent on Tuesday, winning the general election by a huge margin to become the next congresswoman for Colorado’s 1st Congressional District in Denver.
Kiros, the leftist Democratic candidate, had 78% of the vote as of 9 p.m., compared to just 14% for Republican Christy Peterson and 6% for unaffiliated challenger Shimon Blau. The Associated Press called the race not long after first results dropped.
“This country belongs to everyone who loves what it stands for. The people born here and the people who just got here. Everyone who thinks democracy is worth defending and that every person deserves dignity. It’s because of this fight for our collective freedoms that we won tonight. This is a movement, one that follows a long line of dreamers and fighters and giants, whose shoulders we stand on tonight, and we’re just getting started,” Kiros said in prepared remarks before a loud and energetic crowd at The Broadway off of North Broadway in Denver.
She is the first Gen Z woman elected to Congress and the first Black Colorado woman elected to Congress, according to her campaign.
U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette has served in the congressional seat for Denver and pockets of Arapahoe County since 1997. But earlier this year, Kiros defeated her in the Democratic primary with a message of generational change.
Kiros’ held her own watch party on Tuesday before joining the rest of the Colorado Democratic delegation. State Sen. Iman Jodeh was in attendance. Jodeh is the only Palestinian-American to serve at the statehouse and was an early supporter of Kiros.
"I'm incredibly proud of her and I'm proud to be here and be a part of this historic moment. I think one of the reasons I endorsed her really early was the fact that I know she is going to go to Washington and represent our shared values," Jodeh said. "I need someone who's going to be there that is going to stand up to state-sponsored Islamophobia, that is going to stand up against the genocide, and that is going to make sure we have healthcare for all and really usher in a new era for Democrats in Colorado."
Kiros’ ascent was part of an anti-incumbent, progressive-led wave that’s happening across the country — one that put Denver in the national political spotlight.
“They had organized money. We had organized people. And organized people beat organized money every single time,” Kiros said. “Because our fight is righteous. We’re fighting for a world where your paycheck actually covers your rent. Where a cancer diagnosis doesn’t send you into bankruptcy. Where our immigrant neighbors don’t have to live in fear of a rogue, deadly agency. Where our tax dollars are spent investing in our babies here at home, not bombing babies abroad. Where our elected officials represent their voters not their donors.”
She closed her remarks with a focus on freedom, saying it was an abundant right and “not a fortune to be hoarded.”
Melat Kiros' journey to an upset win
Kiros, a democratic socialist and registered Democrat, was the clear front-runner in the race. Registered Democrats outnumber Republicans more than 4-to-1, and CD-1 is considered a safe blue seat.
Kiros is a former lawyer and Ph.D. student. Her family moved to Denver from Ethiopia when she was a baby. She has run on getting corporate money out of politics and instituting public programs like Medicare for All.
“A lot of these corporations are only focused on their bottom lines and maximizing profits for their shareholders. And oftentimes that comes at the expense of working families that are trying to keep up with their rent, that are trying to keep up with their groceries,” Kiros told Denverite in an earlier interview.
She also has put a sharp focus on Israel. In her primary victory speech, she told supporters: “We will not wait to stop the genocide in Palestine.”
She has argued that Israel itself should not exist as a Jewish state, a stance that some Jewish community leaders have described as antisemitism. Kiros positions herself instead as an anti-Zionist — someone opposed to the creation and expansion of Israel as a Jewish-run nation.
To some voters, like Leslie Tjarks, who’s a registered Democrat, Kiros’ stance on Israel was a dealbreaker.
“I wouldn't vote for the Democratic candidate if she was the last one on the ballot. I'm Jewish and she is totally antisemitic,” she said.
But Kiros has also won support from Jewish voters in Denver, like Maple Evergreen, who said she is ready to see the Democratic Party become more progressive.
“The left in this country is super corporate. And if we were talking about candidates like Abdul El-Sayed and Melat Kiros in Germany or France, they would be a centrist candidate. They're advocating for normal stuff,” Evergreen said. “I'm Jewish. My dad went on a birthright to Israel. I think that's just a scam. I think that the reality is that the whole anti-Semitism stuff's super overblown and it's just a tactic to discredit these candidates.”
Other voters, including anti-Zionist Jews, say that Kiros is a voice for peace in the face of Israel’s deadly invasion of Gaza, which was a response to the Oct. 7 attacks.
Kiros has raised $1.3 million, with $1.2 million of the funds coming from individual donors.
Paul Teske was Kiros’ former Ph.D. professor in the School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado Denver. A longtime political analyst, he admitted to being surprised when she announced that she was going to run. Kiros had never before run for office and was born after DeGette became the area’s congresswoman.
“I feel a little embarrassed about it, but I basically met with her and said, ‘Well, you're not going to win because nobody beats a 30-year incumbent,’ but obviously I was wrong,” he told Denverite in August. “I certainly congratulated her. I think she's actually handled herself extremely well in some of the interviews I've seen. I think she comes off as very reasonable. I think that's important to do personally when people are trying to put an extreme label on you.”
Kiros has said she would fight to break up monopolies and bring big businesses to heel if she were elected to Congress.
Kiros also threw her weight behind DSA members running in other states, showing she may play a role in shaping the Democratic Party’s ascendant left wing in Colorado and beyond.
She was outspoken about Advance Colorado’s ballot measures, particularly Amendment 81, which would require law enforcement to communicate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Shimon Blau's challenge
After Kiros won the Democratic primary, Dr. Shimon Blau decided to run as an independent.
He has said he’s worried about Kiros’ stance on the U.S. relationship with Israel and her ability to represent Jewish Denverites. He said he wants to offer voters a more moderate choice. Blau is a pain doctor in Denver.
Blau has raised $204,000, mostly coming from individual donors. Blau also believes in getting corporate PAC money out of politics.
While Blau is running as an independent, he said he would caucus with the Democrats if elected. He has also cited priorities like affordability, saying he would seek healthcare and insurance reforms.
“I'm not against universal healthcare, but I'm very pragmatic and I recognize that it's not going to happen over the next two years under the Trump administration. When the DSA talks about universal healthcare, they talk about it as if it's some light switch that you just click and there you go,” Blau said at a campaign event. “I believe a lot of Republicans and people on the right tend to look at the idea of universal healthcare and say, ‘Well, look, we've already got certain social net programs like Medicare. They're at risk right now.’ We’ve got to make sure that those programs are strong and private.”
Blau has been hosting events at supporters' homes. At one event in late October, Blau stood in front of a crowd of about 20 people and answered questions about himself — and Kiros.
“When you're friends with Hasan Piker, who is just a rabid antisemite, and anti-American, I don't know how you can get away with saying that (and have people take you) seriously,” he said, re
Republican Christy Peterson has largely been absent from the campaign trail
The Republican candidate, Christy Peterson, works at a construction company doing office management and accounting.
She did not respond to multiple interview requests, including for our voter guide, over a span of months.
She has raised about $9,000.
According to her website, she would focus on safety, common sense and the economy.
Peterson posts mostly on X, the social media platform.
“Christy Peterson candidate CD1 Denver Colorado Congress District 1 working for the peoples choice: Low tax, limited Gov, Peace through Strength: Common Sense. DENVER ARE WE READY FOR A TRUMP TOWER!? I AM,” she posted last week.
More about Critter Milton, the Unity Party candidate
Critter Milton is making his fourth bid for Congress as a representative of the Unity Party.
Milton lives in Alma, far outside the Denver-based district, but said he remains connected to Denver. Milton previously ran to represent Colorado’s 1st, 3rd and 7th congressional districts.
More about Chad Humphrey, the Libertarian candidate
Chad Humphrey is a retired U.S. Marine Corps chief warrant officer and an entrepreneur in software and technology.
He is running on the Libertarian ticket, blaming the two major parties for excessive spending and debt and creating a surveillance state.
