Progressives topple DeGette, Bennet in Colorado Democratic primaries

Progressives scored two of the biggest Democratic upsets in Colorado’s June 30 primaries, with Melat Kiros defeating 15-term Rep. Diana DeGette in Colorado’s 1st Congressional District and Phil Weiser beating Sen. Michael Bennet in the race for governor. In the state’s competitive 8th Congressional District, Manny Rutinel also defeated state Rep. Shannon Bird, adding another jolt to a primary night that exposed deep frustration with Washington and the party establishment.

Kiros cast her victory as a rejection of corporate PAC money and the political status quo, an argument that resonated in a district anchored in Denver and long represented by one of Colorado’s most entrenched Democrats. Rutinel ran as a fighter against Donald Trump and ICE, a message that helped him prevail in a district considered a swing seat and one that could help decide control of the U.S. House in November. The 8th District’s importance made Rutinel’s win more than a local upset; it put a newly energized nominee on a national battleground map that both parties will watch closely through the fall.

Bennet’s defeat was equally striking. One of Colorado’s most prominent Democrats, he lost to Weiser in the primary to succeed term-limited Gov. Jared Polis. Bennet will remain in the U.S. Senate and is not up for reelection until 2028, but the loss closes off a possible route to the governor’s office and leaves Colorado Democrats to settle on a successor to Polis without one of the state’s highest-profile officeholders at the center of the race.

The primary also showed that the party’s ideological split was not uniform. Sen. John Hickenlooper won his primary, while state Sen. Julie Gonzales, his progressive-aligned challenger, lost by a relatively narrow margin. That result suggested progressive energy remains potent in some races but not enough to sweep the field, even as Colorado Democrats moved toward a general election on Nov. 3, 2026. On the Republican side, the governor’s contest remained unsettled, with state Rep. Scott Bottoms, state Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer or pastor and Marine Corps veteran Victor Marx still in line to face the GOP nomination fight.