By Richard Cowan
WASHINGTON, June 30 (Reuters) – Anti-establishment progressives racked up another good night in Democratic primary contests on Tuesday, toppling seasoned office-holders in Colorado as the party continues its internal battle over how far left it can go without ruining its prospects for taking control of the U.S. Congress.
Here are 4 takeaways:
PROGRESSIVES PUT TOGETHER MORE WINS
The shocker of the night was the defeat of 29-year incumbent member of the House of Representatives Progressive Caucus Dianna DeGette by a 29-year-old labor organizer and lawyer Milat Kiros. Kiros, who was endorsed by U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, won despite being outgunned more than 2-1 in terms of funding, and having called for a full arms embargo on Israel for even defensive weapons.
DeGette has said she supports sending only defensive weapons.
Since the Gaza war, Israel’s long-standing support among Democrats has been eroding.
PROGRESSIVE TO FLIP A DISTRICT?
On the heels of big primary victories in New York City this month, a progressive is now in position to vie for a Republican-held U.S. House of Representatives seat in the general election on November 3. This is a race that could help determine whether Democrats win control of the 435-seat chamber that is narrowly held by Republicans.
State Representative Manny Rutinel defeated moderate former state Representative Shannon Bird. He will face Republican U.S. Representative Gabe Evans in what is expected to be a competitive contest.
YOUTH PREVAILS – SOMETIMES
DeGette, 68, lost to the 29-year-old Kiros. The 31-year-old Rutinel defeated 67-year-old Bird.
Age did not stop U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper, 74, however. He handily outran state Senator Julie Gonzales in the Democratic primary.
Over the past decade, Democrats have been clamoring for young blood to replace establishment leaders. The transformation is most apparent in the U.S. House, where Representative Hakeem Jeffries, 55, replaced longtime party leader and octogenarian Nancy Pelosi following the 2022 elections.
INSURGENTS RISING
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser not only defeated U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, he was winning 55%-45% with 81% of the votes counted.
Bennet has been in the Senate for more than 17 years, where he gained a reputation as a pragmatist. He previously served as the superintendent of Denver’s public schools.
The somewhat less-establishment Weiser was able to far outpace Bennet in the money race, outspending him by $1 million.
Weiser’s success comes after Graham Platner won the Democratic primary in Maine, where he defeated Governor Janet Mills and will now face Republican U.S. Senator Susan Collins in November.
Republican senators in Texas and Louisiana also lost their primary races.
(Reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
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