Diana DeGette

Progressive organization Justice Democrats endorsed Melat Kiros, who is challenging Representative Diana DeGette in the Democratic primary for Colorado’s First Congressional District, on Thursday.

This marks the group’s sixth endorsement as the left flank of the Democratic Party hopes to build up its power in Congress next November. Usamah Andrabi, the communications director for Justice Democrats told Newsweek on Thursday there will be “numerous successful challengers against incumbents this cycle.”

“This past year has proven just how much Democratic voters are hungry to see Justice Democrats' mission in action to transform this corporate, billionaire-bought Party into one for and by the working class,” Andrabi said. “It's clear that the momentum of the Democratic Party's base is on our side and lobbies like AIPAC are losing sway over voters as their spending, influence, and right-wing network is exposed.”

Newsweek reached out to each of the House Democrats facing primary challengers from the group for comment.

Why It Matters

Democratic voters’ frustration with leadership in Washington, D.C., has continued to grow amid President Donald Trump’s second term in the White House. Many progressives have lamented what they view as a feeble response to the administration from party leaders, exemplified by a vote last month to advance a GOP-supported funding bill to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

This frustration has culminated in calls for new leadership with several Democrats in Congress facing challenges from their left in their primaries next year. It is rare for a challenger to unseat an incumbent in a primary, but progressives like Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts have successfully done so over the past few years.

What To Know

DeGette, who represents Denver in Congress, is facing a challenge from Kiros, a lawyer, in her primary. Justice Democrats announced their endorsement on social media Thursday, highlighting that Kiros had been fired from her job after defending protests supporting Palestinians.

So far, the group has endorsed five other challengers ahead of the midterms.

Those campaigns include Angela Gonzales-Torres, who is challenging Representative Jimmy Gomez in California, Donavan McKinney, who is challenging Representative Shri Thanedar in Michigan, Darializa Avila Chevalier, who is challenging Representative Adriano Espaillat in New York and Justice Pearson, challenging Representative Steve Cohen in Tennessee.

The group also endorsed former Representative Cori Bush, who is seeking a comeback in the district based around St. Louis that she represented from 2021 to 2025. She lost a primary last year to a more moderate Democrat, Representative Wesley Bell.

Polling on these races has not been made public, so it’s unclear how vulnerable these incumbents will be. But progressives believe frustration with D.C. Democrats could fuel insurgent campaigns across the country.

There are other potentially competitive primaries elsewhere.

In Georgia, Representative David Scott has drawn several challengers including State Senator Emanuel Jones, State Representative Jasmine Clark and Dr. Heavenly Kimes, a star on the show Married to Medicine. Justice Democrats, however, has not weighed in on that race.

In New York's 10th Congressional District, both New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and City Council Member Alexa Avilés have been floated as potential primary challengers to Representative Dan Goldman, though neither have officially jumped into the race.

Some Democrats who were set to face primary challengers have announced retirements.

Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi, of California, was set to face a challenge from Saikat Chakrabarti, who previously served as Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's chief of staff. Representative Jan Schakowsky was set to face a challenge from Kat Abughazaleh, a progressive social media personality in Illinois.

Progressives scored a major victory in November with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's victory over former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa.

What People Are Saying

Usamah Andrabi told Newsweek: “Democratic voters have witnessed a Democratic Party over the last year wholly unprepared to fight back against the Trump administration and are desperate to usher in a new generation of leadership that can unite the bottom 99% against the top 1% robbing all of us blind. We're building a slate of candidates, with our sixth endorsement announced today, that can show Democratic voters what a true opposition party can look like when we have enough leaders with the moral courage to take on Republican authoritarianism, Democratic corporatism, and billionaire greed all at once."

A spokesperson for Representative Adriano Espaillat told The New York Times that the congressman and his team “welcome a full and robust primary and look forward to making the case for his continued leadership in our community and across the country.”

Representative Wesley Bell wrote in a statement after former Representative Cori Bush announced her campaign: “St. Louis deserves real results and honest representation, not more headlines or scandals. When it came time to deliver, Cori Bush’s focus wasn’t on our community, but on her own national agenda. That’s why our district was left behind.”

What Happens Next

Candidates will spend the coming months making their cases to voters ahead of key primary elections next year. Meanwhile, debate about whether the Democratic Party should embrace a new direction—and whether that should be more progressive or more centrist—is likely to continue and play out in the elections.