The curse of AIPAC took down a thirty-year incumbent, as Colorado Congresswoman Diane DeGette lost to a 29-year-old who made her opponent’s support from AIPAC and refusal to condemn Israeli genocide in Gaza leading issues in the campaign. Degette was first elected in 1992, and moved to the 1st CD after redistricting in the 1990s.
The winner is Melat Kiros, an attorney, who defeated DeGette with 51.7% of the vote to 41.7%. Kiros’ victory is being compared to the insurgent Democrats who upset AIPAC favorites to win 3 Democratic primaries in NYC. In the run-up to the election, AIPAC stopped openly funding DeGette in reaction to growing voter rejection of AIPAC’s influence. Instead, it channeled funds through other PACS, such as the Elect Democratic Women PAC, which contributed to DeGette’s campaign.
According to a report in the Jewish Telegraph Agency Daily briefing, Kiros made her sharp criticism of Israel and its relationship with the United States a central part of her campaign. Her platform includes a complete arms embargo on Israel and ending military subsidies to the Zionist state. In 2023, Kiros was fired by her New York law firm for refusing to take down a blog post critical of the Gaza War and in defense of student protesters. In her victory speech to supporters last night, she told them, “We will not wait to put an end to the politics of the past, to get big money out of our politics, and to reject corporate PACs and AIPAC.” She reiterated the major themes of her campaign, saying she would “not wait” to take the fight to Donald Trump and abolish ICE. “And no, we will not wait to end the genocide in Palestine,” Kiros said. The district covers most of Denver, the capital of and largest city in Colorado.
