The next test of the democratic socialist movement and other key races to watch in Colorado’s primaries

By Eric Bradner, CNN

(CNN) — Democratic rifts over ideology, generation change and how best to take on President Donald Trump will be on display Tuesday in Colorado, as voters settle primaries for governor and a key House race, weigh ousting two mainstays of the state’s Democratic landscape and more.

Two-term Gov. Jared Polis is term-limited, and his decision to reduce the prison sentence of convicted election denier Tina Peters at Trump’s urging has angered many Democrats in the state.

The race to replace him has been shaped largely by voters’ views on how their state’s chief executive should take on the president.

Down-ballot, veteran Democrats are facing challenges from the left as progressive candidates look to build on last week’s victories in New York.

Here are the four races to watch in Colorado’s primary:

Progressives target another House veteran

The week after progressive challengers ousted two Democratic House members in safe seats in New York’s primary last week, they’ll seek another win Tuesday in Colorado.

Fifteen-term Rep. Diana DeGette is facing off with Melat Kiros, a 29-year-old democratic socialist and lawyer endorsed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, in a 1st District primary that Democratic strategists in the state say is likely to be the toughest race DeGette has faced in years. A third candidate, University of Colorado Regent Wanda James, is also in the race for the Denver seat.

The contest features familiar fault lines. Kiros is a strident critic of the United States’ relationship with Israel. She has also criticized DeGette for accepting corporate political action committee money.

However, Kiros has faced scrutiny for refusing to describe the firebombing of a Boulder group calling for the release of Israeli hostages as antisemitic. Investigators said the perpetrator told police he was driven by a desire “to kill all Zionist people.”

“I don’t know what was in the heart of the perpetrator,” she told 9News. “All I know is that he went and attacked innocent people because of what they might have believed.”

Kiros hopes to continue to build on the momentum of recent progressive victories. She’s got the backing of Justice Democrats, a group that supports candidates who oppose corporate PAC money, and told CNN she’s spoken with Darializa Avila Chevalier, the democratic socialist who defeated the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in New York last week despite scrutiny over controversial posts.

Avila Chevalier, a fellow Justice Democrat, encouraged Denver residents to back Kiros in the final stretch of the race.

Meanwhile, DeGette is touting her support for progressive positions, including abortion rights, Medicare for All and defunding and dismantling US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“Now is not the time to gamble and send somebody with no experience to Washington,” the 68-year-old congresswoman said in a recent debate.

The race is another marker in the ideological battle over the future of the Democratic Party — with more key primaries ahead this year, including a Senate contest in Michigan, and the 2028 presidential race looming increasingly large.

Governor’s race revolves around Trump

US Sen. Michael Bennet had long been viewed as the clear frontrunner in Colorado’s governor’s race.

But Trump administration attacks on Colorado — including moving the Space Command headquarters, attempting to disassemble ​the National Center for Atmospheric Research, denying disaster declaration requests, vetoing funding for a drinking water pipeline and more — left many Democrats eager for confrontation. And state Attorney General Phil Weiser, who has sued Trump’s administration dozens of times, is promising just that.

Weiser’s ads highlight his efforts to stand up to what he calls a “lawless, bullying administration,” while portraying Bennet as supported by corporate honchos.

Bennet argues he has bolder plans to take on climate change and expand health care access, including creating a state-run public health insurance option.

The winner Tuesday will be the clear favorite in November in a state Democrats won by double digits in the last two presidential elections. Republicans are choosing their nominee from a group that includes ministry leader Victor Marx, state Rep. Scott Bottoms and state Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer.

Can Hickenlooper fend off a challenge from the left?

Another moderate-versus-progressive Democratic battle is playing out in Colorado’s Senate race, where incumbent Sen. John Hickenlooper faces a challenge from the left in state Sen. Julie Gonzales.

The race also features themes of generational change: A 74-year-old former Denver mayor and governor facing a 43-year-old rival who has branded him a “go-along-to-get-along incrementalist” and lambasted his votes to confirm some members of Trump’s Cabinet.

Hickenlooper fended off a Democratic foe, former state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, six years ago on his way to a win against Republican Sen. Cory Gardner. This year, though, he has faced criticism for refusing to debate or participate in joint forums with Gonzales.

Democrats choose nominee in battleground House district

Colorado’s 8th District, where first-term Republican Rep. Gabe Evans won by less than a percentage point in 2024, is expected to be among the top Democratic targets this fall.

The Democratic primary in the district, which stretches from Denver’s northern suburbs to Greeley and includes a large share of Latino voters, pits state Rep. Manny Rutinel, 31, against former state Rep. Shannon Bird, 57.

Rutinel is a relative newcomer to Colorado, first arriving in 2020 to work on Hickenlooper’s Senate campaign and permanently moving there two years later after graduating from Yale Law School. In 2023, he was selected to fill a state House vacancy after the former officeholder was appointed to the state Senate.

Bird was viewed as among the more moderate Democrats in the legislature. The former Westminster City Council member and attorney was first elected in 2018 and resigned early this year to run for Congress.

CNN’s Arit John contributed to this report.

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