In Colorado, 15-term incumbent Democratic Congressmember Diana DeGette faces the most serious primary challenge of her political career from a democratic socialist seeking to build on last week’s upset victories in New York. Twenty-nine-year-old lawyer Melat Kiros is campaigning on a platform of Medicare for All, universal childcare, ending homelessness, and a complete arms embargo against Israel. Outside groups have poured around $3 million into the race, with super PACs funded by AIPAC and major big tech donors supporting DeGette. Kiros says her message is getting through despite the flood of negative campaigning against her.

Melat Kiros: “These issues are popular with the voters of Denver, right? In fact, socialism is more popular than capitalism for voters of this city. But more than anything, what I would explain is that we already have socialism. It’s in our streets. It’s in our public schools. It’s in our fire stations. What we’re fighting for is to extend that kind of guarantee and that security into our healthcare, into our housing, into our childcare and our elder care.”

Meanwhile, incumbent Democratic Senator John Hickenlooper faces a challenge from state Senator Julie Gonzales, a progressive who has the backing of the Democratic Socialists of America. Later in the broadcast, we’ll speak with a democratic socialist who won the primary in New York.