Melat Kiros looks at the line of assembled members of the Colorado Democratic Party during a unity rally hosted by the party July 2, 2026 in Denver.
Timothy Hurst/Denver Post via Getty Images
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Timothy Hurst/Denver Post via Getty Images
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Democratic socialist Melat Kiros won the race to represent Colorado’s 1st District in the House, according to an Associated Press race call, marking the first time a Gen Z woman will serve in Congress.
Kiros, a 29-year-old Ethiopian immigrant and lawyer, won Tuesday night in the reliably blue district, which includes most of Denver.
The victory comes just months after she defeated 15-term incumbent Diana DeGette in the state’s high-profile Democratic primary where voters’ frustration with Washington, D.C., leaders and calls for political change were at the forefront.
Kiros is one of several winning candidates in the House on Tuesday who were endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America or their local chapters.
Many have touted a common core platform: championing issues aimed at expanding the social safety net for American workers through policies such as Medicare for All and universal child care. They also advocated for more controversial changes, such as abolishing immigration and customs controls and ending U.S. military aid to Israel.
Kiros’ fierce criticism of Israel and the Gaza war became a source of controversy during the election campaign, sparking backlash of the independent candidate in his race, Shimon Blau, who accused her of espousing anti-Semitic rhetoric. Kiros objected, saying his criticism was aimed at the State of Israel rather than the Jewish people.
Although the average age of a lawmaker in Congress has gotten younger in recent years, being a member of Generation Z in Congress remains rare. Kiros will arrive at the Capitol at a time when Democrats continue to face calls from many of their constituents for generational change.
In an interview with NPR in February, she spoke about the role of age in her race, saying many of her policy positions particularly appeal to younger voters.
“Young people understand that we are engaged in the fight of our lives,” she said. “We need to have leaders who fight for the kind of bold policies that get things done, and who refuse to agree, wait our turn, or ask for permission.”
Currently, only one sitting member of Congress is under the age of 30, Florida Democrat Maxwell Frost, who became the first Gen Z member elected to the House in 2022.
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