Jewish leaders in Colorado have expressed serious concerns following Democratic socialist Melat Kiros' victory in the state's 1st Congressional District primary on June 30, citing her criticism of Israel and the voters' support for her despite her positions on the issue.
Kiros, 29, a former attorney and current doctoral student, defeated longtime incumbent Rep. Diana DeGette. The upset has prompted alarm within the local Jewish community about rising antisemitism and anti-Israel rhetoric gaining mainstream acceptance.
Rabbi Menachem Lehrfield, director of Denver's Jewish Outreach Initiative, told Fox News Digital: "My fear is not that she won the election. What I'm most afraid of is the fact that so many of the people in my community, so many people in the district voted for her. They saw everything she stood for. They heard all the things she says." Lehrfield said the outcome has left many observant Jews feeling unsafe in daily life, and described an incident in which a passerby yelled an antisemitic slur at him on a Denver street following his op-ed criticizing the primary result.
Community leaders pointed to Kiros' campaign statements characterizing the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks as an "inevitable consequence of apartheid," Describing Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide, and calling for a full U.S. Arms embargo on Israel. They also noted her initial reluctance to label a June 2025 firebombing attack on a pro-Israel gathering in Boulder as antisemitic. That attack killed 82-year-old Karen Diamond and injured more than a dozen others. Prosecutors charged the perpetrator with murder and hate crimes after he shouted "Free Palestine" During the assault. Kiros later clarified that the violence was horrific but maintained that Israel's policies were putting Jewish people "in great danger."
Brandon Rattiner, senior director of the Jewish Community Relations Council, said he met with Kiros before the primary to discuss community concerns. Susan Rona, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League's Mountain States Region, linked such rhetoric to a surge in antisemitic incidents in Colorado, with the ADL reporting 167 incidents in 2025, the third-highest total on record for the state.
Kiros frames her positions as advocacy for Palestinian rights and self-determination while condemning antisemitism. She is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America and has emphasized progressive domestic policies including universal health care and housing reform. She is heavily favored to win the November general election in the solidly Democratic district.
Jewish leaders distinguished between legitimate criticism of Israeli government policies and language they say demonizes the Jewish state or questions its right to exist.