Colorado Democrats face a real risk of anti-establishment upsets in their primaries tonight, with Michael Bennet’s once-comfortable advantages eroded and Rep. Diana DeGette unexpectedly threatened by a democratic socialist challenger, while local dynamics and national mood create an unpredictable mix.
Colorado had been penciled in as safe for the Democratic establishment, but that picture is shifting fast. Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) once looked like a lock for the gubernatorial nomination thanks to a big war chest, top endorsements, and a 30-point lead in polls. Now those edges have faded and the race is much tighter than many expected.
Attorney General Phil Weiser is a potential challenger to Bennet, and his entry would complicate the map, but the more dramatic story is the insurgent challenge to Rep. Diana DeGette. DeGette, a 30-year incumbent, is suddenly in a fight for her political life against 29-year-old Melat Kiros, a candidate who identifies with democratic socialist ideas.
Internal campaign polling reportedly has DeGette and Kiros within the margin of error, which has rattled national Democrats who assumed decades of name recognition would be enough. That panic pushed donors and allied groups to pour money into DeGette’s closing days, but money alone can’t paper over deep voter dissatisfaction with Washington.
Democrats in the Centennial State are bracing for an anti-establishment earthquake of their own. Tuesday’s primary election will test the left’s momentum beyond the five boroughs — and whether the anti-incumbent fever will topple Sen. Michael Bennet and Rep. Diana DeGette, a pair of longtime fixtures of state Democratic politics.
Bennet allies acknowledge his primary for governor race is far closer than they expected, a startling position for one of the state’s best-known Democrats, while DeGette is facing similar anti-Washington headwinds, as internal polling in recent days has set off alarm bells for the 30-year incumbent.
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While Bennet allies maintain they still believe he has the slight edge, two Democratic strategists familiar with his campaign said internal polling has shown a tighter contest than they expected, raising concerns that voter anger toward any close association with Washington has made even the well-known statewide figure vulnerable. A recent public survey conducted by the liberal pollster PPP showed him trailing outside the margin of error.
“There may be only a slight Bennet advantage at this point,” said a Democratic strategist close to the Colorado governor’s race, granted anonymity to candidly discuss the campaign, adding that private polling has been “all over the place.”
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The race has increasingly become a contest over who has fought President Donald Trump harder, reflecting what many Democrats describe as the defining mood of this year’s primary electorate: anger with Washington, frustration with Democratic leadership and a desire for candidates who project an ability to fight.
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The anxiety may be even greater around DeGette. The 68-year-old is facing her most serious primary challenge of her three decades in Congress from democratic socialist Melat Kiros, who at 29 years old was born just a few months after DeGette first won her seat.
People close to DeGette’s campaign say the warning signs have been there for months. But her team’s concern ratcheted up in recent weeks as the campaign’s internal polling found the race also narrowing to within the margin of error, according to two political strategists close to DeGette’s campaign. The tightening, coupled with New York’s insurgent sweep that took out a pair of congressmen, set off a panic and helped to finally convince skeptical donors and allied groups that the threat was real after DeGette’s team had spent weeks warning national Democrats they were facing a far more competitive race than many appreciated. National groups have poured in money in the race’s final week in a desperate attempt to save the Congress member, even as some DeGette allies privately grumble that she had not done nearly enough to stave off her challenger.
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Several Colorado Democrats cautioned Denver is not New York. The city is not as liberal, its DSA infrastructure is significantly smaller, and DeGette still benefits from decades of name recognition and relationships across the district. But they also acknowledge Denver has become younger, more progressive and increasingly receptive to anti-establishment candidates.
“Everybody now knows this is a race. This is no longer sneaking up on everybody,” one longtime Democratic strategist close to the DeGette campaign said. “I think DeGette should be very concerned.”
The dynamics at play are straightforward. Voters are sour on career incumbents who seem tied to national Democratic leadership, and that anger feeds insurgent campaigns. Progressives who beat establishment figures in places like New York have shown that motivated bases and national attention can swing results even where old advantages seemed secure.
History offers a clear warning for overconfident incumbents. In 2014, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor looked unbeatable until he lost a primary to David Brat. Cantor’s heavy-handed attacks and big spending drew attention to his opponent and gave voters a reason to pick a different path. The Cantor lesson matters: name recognition and cash are not unbeatable if the mood on the ground has shifted.
For Republicans watching from the outside, Colorado’s turbulence is a welcome reminder that the left is not a monolith and that anti-establishment energy crosses party lines. The possibility that democratic socialist candidates make gains inside a state Democratic primary should be a red flag for general election prospects and for voters who care about mainstream governance.
How this plays out in Colorado could reverberate beyond state lines. If longtime Democrats like Bennet and DeGette are weakened or toppled, national groups will need to rethink strategies and resources. For now, voters will decide whether experience still matters or whether raw insurgent energy will carry the day.
Expect a chaotic night with close counts and energized bases. The traditional advantages of incumbency are under pressure, and the results will tell us whether Colorado follows New York’s insurgent path or rejects it at the ballot box.
