@drewpetrimoulx: One of the biggest political upsets of the 2026 primary season happened Tuesday night in Denver. Democratic Socialist Melat Kiros defeated 15-term incumbent Rep. Diana DeGette, toppling one of Congress’ longest-serving Democrats and delivering another victory for the party’s insurgent left. Kiros is just 29 years old and wasn’t even born yet when DeGette was first elected to Congress. I sat down with Kiros just before Election Day to press her on the ideas driving her campaign and the questions many voters have about the Democratic Socialist movement. Our conversation covered everything from Medicare for All and campaign finance to artificial intelligence, taxes, immigration, Israel/Palestine, and the rise of anti-Semitism. Kiros argued that the biggest obstacle facing Democrats isn’t a lack of progressive ideas—it’s the influence of corporate money inside the party. She repeatedly contended that lawmakers who accept corporate PAC donations cannot realistically deliver policies like Medicare for All, even if they publicly support them. I also challenged her on whether those proposals are politically realistic, how she’d pay for them, whether middle-class Americans would ultimately face higher taxes, and what she would actually be able to accomplish in a Republican-controlled Washington. On foreign policy, Kiros defended making Israel and Palestine a central issue in her campaign, calling for an end to what she described as the genocide in Gaza while emphasizing dignity, peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians. She condemned both anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, rejected the harassment of political opponents over their views on the conflict, and argued that criticism of the Israeli government should not be conflated with Judaism or Jewish people. Kiros’ victory is another sign that the ideological battle inside the Democratic Party is far from over. If Tuesday night’s result is any indication, it’s a conversation that will only become more important in the months ahead.

Drew Petrimoulx

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Wednesday 01 July 2026 19:48:34 GMT