Democratic socialists’ recent electoral gains — punctuated by Melat Kiros’ victory on Tuesday over U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, the dean of Colorado’s congressional delegation — are the result of a movement that has been taking shape in metro Denver for years.

Supporters said the ideology offers worker‑focused policies and answers to widening economic inequality, while critics argued it pushes Democrats too far left and risks alienating voters who remain wary of socialism.

Results from Tuesday night’s primary elections show the movement’s momentum is resonating locally. Indeed, while Kiros’ win fits into a broader shift nationally, Denver has been cultivating this ideology for years.

The city’s Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) chapter describes itself as the largest socialist organization in the country, with members saying they are building progressive movements and establishing an openly democratic socialist presence in the Mile High City.

Nationally, the DSA reports more than 100,000 members and chapters in all 50 states. Formed in 1982 through a merger of the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee and the New America Movement, the organization blends traditional labor‑oriented politics with the protest‑movement culture of the 1960s and 1970s.

In Denver, the movement’s influence has grown in recent elections. Sitting Councilmembers Sarah Parady and Shontel Lewis both received DSA endorsements in 2023, and several Aurora councilmembers have also aligned themselves with the ideology.

Denver’s City Council is comprised of 11 district-based councilmembers and two at-large councilmembers, all of whom are Democrats, according to the city.

Mayoral candidate Lisa Calderón was also endorsed by DSA, as were Tony Pigford, Tiffany Caudill, Shannon Hoffman and Candi CdeBaca. 

Searchlight Denver, an online political campaign finance search tool, showed that two organizations received significant contributions from DSA.

Grassroots renter advocates NEWR Denver, also known as No Eviction Without Representation, received $18,000 from DSA in 2022, while Stronger Denver, a political group dedicated to advancing union rights for City and County of Denver municipal workers, received $4,000 in August 2024. 

What is a Democratic socialist?

Even as the movement grows in Colorado and nationwide, many ask what a Democratic socialist is.

After World War II, socialism was frequently equated with communism in American politics. A 1949 Gallup poll asked Americans what they believed socialism meant — most respondents associated it with government ownership of businesses and utilities. In the same survey, half of those polled said socialism was more about advancing progressive policies.

Public sentiment toward socialism remained broadly negative in 2025, with 57% of Americans viewing it unfavorably. Gallup polling shows capitalism holds a stronger public image, though support has slipped: 54% viewed capitalism positively in 2025, down from 60% in 2021.

President Donald Trump and other critics have increasingly cast DSA‑aligned candidates as “communists,” with Trump calling the movement a political “cancer.” As midterms approach, the president has claimed that DSA candidates are overtaking the Democratic Party, labeling them “godless Communists” and warning they pose an existential threat to the country.

Alli Jackson, an Aurora City councilmember, said that while she isn’t a formal DSA member, she supports the movement’s push to improve the quality of life for everyone.

“We’re not communists, we don’t want that by any means,” she said, adding Trump spreads “misinformation” about Democratic socialists.

Democratic socialism in the United States is generally understood to mean systems in which workers or public institutions have greater control over the means of production and the distribution of goods — a shift away from private ownership and market‑driven structures that define capitalism.

Democratic socialism has gained traction in New York under Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who was elected last year with DSA support. Since taking office, he has pushed for rent stabilization, protections from evictions and social‑housing models. He has also advocated expanding public ownership of transit, utilities, housing and even grocery stores.

In the recent primary election, Mamdani celebrated Democratic socialist victories in two state Senate races and four state Assembly races in New York.

Jackson said she admires what Mamdani is pushing for in New York — not just “taxing the rich,” including celebrities like Taylor Swift, but expanding free public transit and child care for families.

“Go, Mamdani. Go, Melat (Kiros). Go, tax the rich,” Jackson said. “That’s where I’ll land every time.”

Broader frustrations

In Denver, Kiros is the latest success story for DSA. If she wins in November, which is likely in the solidly Democratic seat, Kiros will become only the second member of Congress from Gen Z, joining U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, a Florida Democrat.

“Denver voters of all ages, of all races, of all religions sent a clear message: We will not wait,” Kiros said after being declared the winner on June 30. “We will not wait to take the fight to Donald Trump and the oligarchy. We will not wait to abolish (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and pass ‘Medicare for All.’ 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 (the American Israel Public Affairs Committee) — and no, we will not wait to end the genocide in Palestine.”

Denver political strategist Doug Friednash said that although DSA members are energized by Kiros’ victory over DeGette, the outcome may reflect broader frustrations. He described it as driven by anti‑establishment and anti‑Washington, D.C. sentiment.

“It’s the belief that incumbents aren’t fighting hard enough, that people want generational change and that voters are angry,” Friednash said. “I think voters are really, really angry and that anger has shaped politics as much as anything.”

Friednash said DeGette is already a progressive Democrat, noting that she led the committee that tried to impeach Trump in his first term.

As an example of anti-establishment sentiment, Friednash pointed to U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet’s loss in the Colorado Democratic primary for governor to Attorney General Phil Weiser.

“Bennet was hurt by appearing too much like a D.C. insider,” he said. “Weiser performed very well in Denver, and to his credit, he ran a strong campaign.”

Republicans are confronting similar dynamics. In the state’s primary for governor, Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, who has more than 30 years of experience in government, currently trails political newcomer Victor Marx.

Impact to party

Criticism of Democratic socialists has not come only from Trump and Republicans. Some Democrats argue the ideology moves too far from the political center, where they believe most voters want the party to remain.

On its website, the national chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America described its aims in unequivocal terms: “We want to collectively own the key economic drivers that dominate our lives, such as energy production and transportation.”

It is, therefore, anti-capitalist: “Capitalism is a system designed by the owning class to exploit the rest of us for their own profit”). It is also collectivist: “We want to win ‘radical’ reforms like single-payer Medicare for All, defunding the police/refunding communities, the Green New Deal, and more as a transition to a freer, more just life.”

Additionally, Democratic socialists want to abolish the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They are calling for “No War with Iran.”

As a counter to socialism, some Democrats are signing onto the “Promise to America” pledge. One of them is Jessica Killin, who recently won the Democratic primary and will challenge U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank in November in Colorado’s 5th Congressional District.

The pledge outlines a platform focused on capitalism, public safety, fiscal restraint, secure borders and national pride, rejecting positions associated with Democratic socialist candidates.

“They may be part of my party, but I don’t think they are the whole of the party,” Killin said of candidates aligned with DSA. “They should not be the face of our party, and that’s why we need to be organized and clear in our vision and that’s why the Promise to America is such a critical part of that.”

Friednash said Democratic socialism is creating a divide in the Democratic Party, similar, he added, to the effect of the MAGA movement among Republicans. However, he said, he is surprised at how many moderate Democrats are embracing the movement, rather than debating its impact.

“While Democrats may have a positive view of socialism, the rest of America does not,” he said.

Writing for the Washington Examiner, Emzari Gelashvili said centrists Democrats “face a dilemma, and the movement feeds on it.”

“Challenge the DSA openly, and they risk the energized activists who decide low-turnout primaries. Stay silent, and they surrender the party’s center one race at a time,” he wrote.

As DSA candidates win primary races, Friednash said Democrats are trying to be open-minded — but without considering how those positions may affect voters in competitive November contests.

He pointed to Colorado’s 8th Congressional District, which is expected to influence the balance of power in Washington. The seat is currently held by Republican U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans. Democrat Manny Rutinel defeated Shannon Bird in the primary to face Evans in November.

Friednash said Rutinel has shifted his messaging to be more moderate because voters in his district are unlikely to support an extreme-left candidate.

Ernest Luning contributed to this article.