RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesDemocratic socialist candidate Melat Kiros shocked Colorado ’s Democratic establishment when she defeated 15-term incumbent Rep. Diana DeGette in the state's June primary. The double-digit win exposed a growing rift over the party's values that has left some Democrats stunned and questioning the future of the party.
"If you had told me this woman would have won by 13 points, I would have bet my house against that," Doug Friednash, a veteran political strategist in Colorado, told Fox News Digital. "I never would have thought we would have seen a victory of that magnitude here in Denver."
Friednash has tracked Colorado's political shift from red to deep blue over the past three decades, previously serving in the state legislature representing House District 10 in Denver. He later served as Denver city attorney and chief of staff to former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, and he currently works as a partner at Brownstein, a prominent legal and lobbying firm in the region.
Kiros' victory was one of dozens of wins for far-left candidates in Democratic primary elections this cycle as socialists continue to ascend across the country. The far-left's rise in the party has alarmed seasoned Democrats like Friednash.
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"It was one thing watching this happen in New York ... But when it happens in a state like Colorado, which is really the gateway to the West , it tells me that this issue is going to spread and may be a cancer to the Democratic Party if they don't figure out what our values are," Friednash said.
He noted that Kiros' victory did not happen in a vacuum, pointing out that DSA-backed candidates have successfully captured seats in the state legislature and city councils over the past few years.
While Friednash originally predicted Rep. Diana DeGette would win, he acknowledged Kiros' campaign had a strong ground game and was able to tap into anti-establishment sentiments among progressives in the region. Kiros' team reportedly knocked on more than 100,000 voters' doors and ran a phone bank reaching 500,000 people leading up to election night.
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She also campaigned on fighting for universal healthcare, affordable housing, utilities and more .
Friednash said Kiros' message resonated with younger voters who are frustrated by the high cost of living and feel let down by the Democratic establishment.
"I think the number one issue is affordability, by far," he said. "A lot of younger people that have moved to Denver have come here wanting to buy a house. They can't buy a home, it seems unaffordable and unattainable. And I think she's tapped into a lot of voter anger and hostility over things not being better."
He believes Denver has become a microcosm of the national debate taking place within the Democratic Party over its future direction. Comparing the DSA wave to the rise of the MAGA movement within the Republican Party, Friednash warned that if party leadership refuses to call out the group's extreme policies, it will ultimately hurt Democrats in swing districts across the nation.
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"As I look out at what's happening within the Democratic Party, you know, it's kind of like a ship without a captain," Friednash said. "A lot of the more mainstream Democrats, rather than trying to say, 'Here are the issues we should be fighting about,' are embracing the socialists, because I think they're afraid of them... much like I think we've seen with the MAGA movement."
"While some Democrats may be falling in love with socialism , you know who isn't? The rest of America," he continued. "That dog's not gonna hunt in these more competitive primaries."
Prominent centrist Democratic groups such as Third Way share that anxiety. The organization recently told The New York Times it plans to launch a $15 million campaign to combat the Democratic Socialists of America movement, which it believes poses a "mortal danger" to Democrats and will hurt the party in potential presidential swing states.
Concerns over the party's ideological turn aren't limited to establishment Democrats.
Jon Caldara, president of the Denver-based free-market think tank Independence Institute, also questions the future of his home state as democratic socialists continue to rise in prominence.
"Without a doubt, the Democratic Party in Colorado has changed," Caldara told Fox News Digital, arguing the state has abandoned its historically pro-business stance.
Caldara, a libertarian and longtime radio host and columnist, is outspoken about the challenges facing Denver and the broader state, such as affordability, homelessness and an exodus of businesses. He believes these issues will worsen, warning that establishment Democrats have lost control of their own party.
"When the state started turning left, this machine was so powerful, it really couldn't stop itself," Caldara said. "And now it's really beginning to eat their own. It's kind of a French Revolution thing that you see that the Democratic Party here in Colorado is now well out over their skis. And there is a growing fight between Democrats and socialists."
"The real telltale is that Democrats are afraid to speak the truth because they don't want to get canceled," he added. "It is vicious to go against the socialists."
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Caldara believes younger voters are increasingly being drawn to democratic socialist candidates in Denver and across the country because they lack historical context for how these types of policies have fared across the world.
"Sadly, the young suffer from a terrible disease: It's called youth. And because they're young, they haven't seen failed socialism around the globe," Caldara said. "They haven'...
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