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Democrat

Melat Kiros

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Democrat

Melat Kiros

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CO-01 Democratic nominee?

$1.5M

JUL 7, 2026

Primary Election

Party selects its nominee.

Overview

Current roleAttorney

PartyDemocratic

Political ideologyDemocratic Socialist

GenderFemale

LocationColorado

BackgroundAttorney

EducationWashington College (B.A.)

Notable personal detailsMelat Kiros is an American lawyer and Democratic candidate for the U.S. House in Colorado’s 1st Congressional District. Raised in the Denver metro area, she earned a B.A. from Washington College and a J.D. from the University of Notre Dame (2022), and worked as an attorney in New York before returning to Colorado. She has also been a Ph.D. student at the University of Colorado Denver.

SourcesShow

fec.gov en.wikipedia.org cpr.org kirosforco.com axios.com apnews.com washingtonpost.com justicedemocrats.com fundvoter.org knpr.org thecandidate.com ap.org westword.com denvervoice.org addisinsight.net coloradosun.com npr.org migrantinsider.com coloradopolitics.com denvergazette.com gazette.com cohealthinitiative.org co1stdistrictgop.com colorado.gov leg.colorado.gov denverite.com highcountryadvocate.org bellpolicy.org sunrisemovement.org nbcnews.com facebook.com instagram.com x.com coloradonewsline.com 19thnews.org abcnews.com time.com pbs.org jacobin.com cnn.com ballotpedia.org theguardian.com bluevoterguide.org docquery.fec.gov ballotready.org votesmart.org cdn.ballotpedia.org voterguide.ballotpedia.org developer.ballotpedia.org durbin.senate.gov

Positions

LiberalConservative

Economy & Taxes

Supports using tax revenue to fund expanded social programs (Medicare for All, universal childcare, housing-first investments) and advocates taxing large political contributions to finance public campaign funding. Platform emphasizes redirecting government spending (including reducing military spending) toward services that benefit working families.

Healthcare

Supports Medicare-style universal coverage and describes healthcare as a basic right, endorsing Medicare-for-All-style expansion of public health coverage. Seeks to guarantee access to healthcare alongside other social rights such as housing, food, and education.

Immigration & Border

Calls for abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and dismantling enforcement-heavy immigration structures; advocates replacing enforcement with humane alternatives and reallocating enforcement funding toward social services and protections for migrants and refugees.

Abortion & Reproductive Rights

The candidate publicly says she respects longtime Rep. Diana DeGette’s work on reproductive justice and frames her campaign as aligned with progressive priorities that include protecting reproductive rights. Her campaign coverage characterizes her as a progressive/Democratic socialist and notes support for reproductive justice.

Climate & Energy

Supports aggressively addressing climate change by fully funding renewable energy development, transitioning to a zero-emissions electricity grid, modernizing public transit, investing in climate-resilient infrastructure, ending fossil-fuel subsidies, and holding polluters accountable.

News

AINews Summary

Last updatedJul 25, 2026

Melat Kiros won the Democratic primary in Colorado’s 1st Congressional District, upsetting longtime Rep. Diana DeGette and advancing to the November general election. She will face Republican Christy Peterson, and independent challenger Shimon Blau has also qualified for the ballot. The race is drawing attention because Kiros’ win was a major primary upset and has put her in a competitive general election contest.

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Articles

BDBoulder Daily Camera25 days ago