Colorado Socialist Candidate Advocates for Diverse Leadership to Challenge U.S. Policies

Melat Kiros, a socialist candidate from Colorado, is urging more immigrants with roots in the global south to seek office to address what she describes as the ‘exploitative and extractive’ nature of the United States. Kiros shared these views during the Wa’Ela Tigrai event in Denver, following her primary victory against long-standing Rep. Diana DeGette. Drawing inspiration from House ‘Squad’ members like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Kiros emphasized the importance of empowering others for systemic change.

Kiros argues that real change requires representatives who deeply understand American exploitation. She said, ‘There’s a certain reckoning that we are going to have to have with the global world order as it exists today and the way that it fundamentally will have to shift going forward.’

The responsibility that we have as Americans, the recognition that is going to be required of us, of the exploitative and extractive nature that we play on the global scale and the global stage is only going to be challenged if we are getting represented by people who understand that on a fundamental level.

She stressed the value of increasing political representation for immigrants and those from the global south. Fox News Digital approached her campaign for additional remarks.

Kiros, endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America, joined others who managed to defeat incumbent Democrats in primary elections for 2026. During the event, Kiros criticized capitalist systems, based on her experiences as a lawyer, discussing how it ‘broke [her] spirit.’

‘When I was in law school, I tell everybody that was where I learned that the system is not broken, that it’s actually working exactly as it was designed to,’ she said. Despite this disillusionment, Kiros adopted a determined stance, expressing a commitment to resistance rather than resignation.

She remarked, ‘Regardless of what ends up happening… I would rather go down fighting than to give up.’

Previously, Kiros had been terminated from Sidley Austin law firm in 2023 after penning an open letter criticizing law firms for their stance on antisemitism actions on college campuses.
Lindsay Kornick is the associate editor at Fox News Digital and welcomes story tips via email or on Twitter at @lmkornick.