Based on recent electoral results, democratic socialism is hotter than the current “heat dome.” In fact, democratic socialism is so red-hot (no pun intended) that it is turning blue districts red, socialist red that is.
Over the past month or so, democratic socialists have defeated so-called Democratic Party establishment candidates in primary races in places like California, Pennsylvania, Maine, New York City, and Washington, DC.
While these victories clearly show that democratic socialism is a political force to be reckoned with in urban enclaves near the coasts, most pundits believe that it will be more difficult to sell democratic socialism in places like Colorado.
We will soon find out whether democratic socialism’s appeal is limited to these geographic locations, or if it is indeed gaining traction in America’s heartland.
Meet Melat Kiros, who is proudly running as a democratic socialist in the Democratic Party’s Primary election for Colorado’s 1st Congressional District.
Kiros is running against Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), a “progressive” Democrat who has held this seat since 1997. DeGette is not a moderate; she toes the far-left line on nearly all issues. She fights climate change. She opposes ICE. She supports preventing gun violence.
But she is not radical enough.
As Kiros says, “Establishment Democrats are beholden to the same billionaires who keep our prices high, burn our planet, and profit from a genocide.”
Unlike her “establishment” opponent, Kiros claims she is “running for Congress to deliver change for Denver.”
Specifically, Kiros seeks to “change” the relationship between individuals and government.
In her own words, she supports, “the development of publicly-owned, mixed-income social housing that is insulated from market speculation;” “Medicare for All;” “free, high-quality public education” (including public colleges and trade schools); “universal childcare and eldercare;” “robust federal investment in public transit: expanding light rail and bus rapid transit, making fares affordable, and modernizing our transit systems as part of our broader climate infrastructure;” “publicly owned utilities;” “raising the federal minimum wage to a living wage;” “guaranteeing paid family, medical, and sick leave for every worker;” “abolish ICE;” “a federal Trans Bill of Rights;” “gun violence prevention;” “a moratorium on new AI data centers;” “fully funding renewable energy development and transitioning to a zero-emissions energy grid;” and “investing in a Green New Deal that creates a just transition and millions of good union jobs in clean energy, climate resilience, and the modernization of our infrastructure.”
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Democratic Socialism in the District of Columbia
It is important to focus on Kiros’s obsession with climate alarmism and the Green New Deal. For many years, democratic socialists have touted the Green New Deal as the policy panacea for all that ails America, namely climate change and the wealth gap.
But, in 2019, just after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) introduced the Green New Deal, her chief-of-staff, Saikat Chakrabarti, admitted, “The interesting thing about the Green New Deal, is it wasn't originally a climate thing at all.”
“Do you guys think of it as a climate thing? Because we really think of it as a how-do-you-change-the-entire-economy thing,” he expounded.
Changing the entire economy is exactly what the Green New Deal would do, just not for the better.
Under the Green New Deal, which encompasses much of the “change” Kiros pledges to deliver, the American economy would change from a market economy to a command-and-control economy.
The invisible hand of the free market would be replaced with the heavy hand of government force. Voluntary, mutually beneficial transactions would be undermined by state-sanctioned coercion. Innovation would grind to a halt.
Like it or not, free-market capitalism has a far superior track record of building prosperity and providing opportunity for personal fulfilment than socialism. The free enterprise system of America, while not perfect, is still unquestionably better than collectivism in creating wealth and raising living standards.
For far too long, anti-American leftists, who despise the country’s founding values and Constitution, have demanded wholesale changes to the system. They are wrong.
America, as it celebrates its 250th anniversary, ought to re-embrace the spirit of liberty that overtook the colonies in 1776 and gave birth to the greatest, freest nation in history.
Chris Talgo ([email protected]) is editorial director at The Heartland Institute.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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