Melat Kiros

2026 congressional campaign

On July 9, 2025, Kiros announced her candidacy for Colorado's 1st congressional district, challenging incumbent Diana DeGette, who was first elected to Congress in 1996.^[9] During the primary, Kiros received endorsements from the Justice Democrats, Democratic Socialists of America, Working Families Party, and Bernie Sanders.^[10][11] DeGette, a progressive democrat, received endorsements from the Congressional Progressive Caucus.^[12]

After her initial election in 1996, DeGette had never faced a close primary or general election. Her closest race came in 2018 against primary challenger Saira Rao, who DeGette defeated 68%-32%.^[13]

To qualify for the June primary ballot, candidates could either collect petition signatures or receive at least 30% of votes at a county caucus.^[14] DeGette narrowly qualifed for the ballot after securing 33% of the vote to Kiros's 67%.^[15] A third candidate, University of Colorado Regent Wanda James, qualified for the ballot via petition.^[15]

The Colorado Sun reported that the Israel-Palestine issue was the largest policy difference between Kiros and DeGette; Kiros supported an embargo on all arms sales to Israel and said Israel should no longer be a Jewish state, describing it as an ethnocracy.^[5] Additionally, the race

The primary election saw large amounts of outside spending, primarily supporting DeGette and attacking Kiros.^[16] Three Super PACs spent $1.3 million on advertisements attacking Kiros in the last two months of the primary race.^[17]

The race received additional national attention after multiple democratic socialist candidates in New York won their primary races on June 23, including congressional candidates Claire Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier.^{[18] [19]} Kiros won the Democratic primary on June 30, 2026.^[20] Kiros would be the first Generation Z woman elected to congress and the second Generation Z congress member after Maxwell Frost.^[20] he is expected to win the general election, as New York's 7th district is considered a safe seat with a Cook Partisan Voting Index of D+29.^[21]

Climate change

Kiros supports an updated Green New Deal and argues that transportation policy should emphasize public transit and pedestrian-centered neighborhoods rather than relying mainly on electric vehicles.^[22] She supports a moratorium on data centers until federal labor and environmental regulations are in place, and said data-center companies should generate their own renewable energy.^[22]

Healthcare and childcare

Kiros supports Medicare for All, ^[23] cancellation of medical debt, federal drug-price caps, and breaking up monopolies in the pharmaceutical, health insurance, and health-care provider sectors.^[22] She supports increased childcare subsidies, capping childcare costs at 10 percent of family income, and making childcare free for families below a certain income level.^[22]

Housing

Kiros supports upzoning and permitting reform, alongside federal rent stabilization, social housing.^[22]

Immigration

On immigration, Kiros supported hiring more immigration judges, caseworkers, and border-processing staff to make the immigration system faster. She called for abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and said people in ICE detention without criminal records should be released.^[22]

Inequality and wages

Kiros supports raising the federal minimum wage to match local living costs, with a floor of at least $15 per hour, and said it might need to be $22 per hour in some cities or districts.^[22] Kiros supports closing tax loopholes and higher taxes on the "ultra wealthy".^[22]

Foreign policy

Kiros supports a 10 percent reduction in Pentagon spending.^[22]

Kiros opposes continued U.S. military aid to Israel and said ending aid to Israel was "the moral question of our time".^[22][23]

Kiros also opposed U.S. military action against Iran and said she would support congressional action to reclaim war powers.^[22]