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Scott mentioned in the comments that he went to a community event where Rep Diana DeGette’s (CO-1) primary opponents spoke.
[Melat] Kiros definitely has a general set of talking points from the AOC/Sanders side of the spectrum. [Wanda] James is far less strident but not necessarily center-right like Crow & Petterson. Both agreed on money in the forms of corporate PACS and the Dems apparent continued want of that as a big problem. Both agreed on billionaire influence and ownership across the economic spectrum as being a macro problem.
The irony in that from James is that she then went on to tout her ability to raise money. Didn’t go into details. My big slam on her is that she’s very close to Polis, Hick, Bennett and the rest of them, having been Polis’s campaign mgr for governor during his first race. Most of her campaign positions are nice, standard things we all can agree on like better public education, more focus on clean energy, etc., but I’m so used to hearing that from right-leaning Dems it becomes boilerplate.
[…]
The one thing that struck me, both said in different ways that one reason they were running is that the defacto complicitness of Democratic electeds have helped put us in this position. And that to expect the current crop of Dems in DC to fix it was a fool’s errand. And that old-school backbenchers like DeGette were part of that problem.
[…]
One thing is clear, most people disgruntled with DeGette can be because she’s such a backbencher and outside of abortion rights, you wouldn’t know she existed on the political spectrum. James pointed out that in all her years in the House, she’s passed 2 bills whereas somebody like Neguse has passed a bunch in just 5 years.
The other reason I think DeGette’s getting challenged is not unlike the position AOC was in when she first ran. What we have is basically a lazy incumbent who’s taken the seat for granted since forever and it’s wearing really thin on Dems of all stripes.
CO-1 is a D+28 district. Wanda James bragging about raising money is a strange look as far as I’m concerned. When my old district, NY-20, was represented by Louise Slaughter, it was reasonably comfortable Democratic district (D+5 ish). Slaughter was the incumbent, which is a bit of a different situation than James’, but she would raise like $300K each cycle and she gave most of it to other candidates. CO-1 is a compact, urban district in Denver. You can cover all four corners of the district on a bike in a day, easily. Other than campaign signs and bumper stickers, and maybe a very small campaign office with a couple of staffers, there’s not a lot to spend money on. If you win the primary, you’ll win the election. James and Kiros doing the work, like knocking on doors and showing up at a huge number of gatherings like the one in Scott’s neighborhood is how they get elected in that district. Money isn’t going to make a big difference.
On to Kat Abughazaleh, whose name I can now spell without googling it. First, I should have posted on this earlier, but AIPAC is out for her and what they think are radical positions are interesting to me:
I mean, aren’t Abughazaleh’s three “sins” called out by AIPAC pretty much mainstream positions now? In this primary, I think having an AIPAC endorsement is a hindrance, not a help.
Here’s her short talk after being arraigned in federal court in Chicago:
Also, tonight on her livestream, Abughazaleh is giving out limited edition stickers of her cat to donors.
Finally, Hakeem Jeffries will probably be getting a primary challenge from City Councilman Chi Ossé. This video won’t embed but here’s his reel about Cuomo, which is pretty profane and funny:
Here’s a serious one, and it’s good:
We’re fixing Atlantic Avenue! This is what a comprehensive community-led rezoning looks like 🏠
— Chi Ossé (@chiosse.bsky.social)2025-05-29T21:52:47.196Z
Ossé beat the machine candidate in his 2021 race for city council, in Jeffries’ district. Speaking of money, the amount of money that Jeffries will pour into his primary will probably break all records. It will also be very interesting to see a guy who clearly swings for the fences go after the overly cautious Jeffries.
Both Abughazaleh and Ossé bring some fun into politics in a really grim time.
Edit: Forgot to include this poll, sponsored by progressive organization Common Dreams. Shave some off because they sponsored it, and it’s still pretty grim for incumbents:
90% of respondents believe Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer should step aside, and 92% would support a primary challenger against him.
70% say House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries should step aside, with 77% saying they would support a primary challenger.
Nearly all agree Democratic candidates in 2026 must adopt Mamdani’s affordability message, centering campaigns on lowering the cost of living and holding corporations accountable.
Two-thirds (67%) say current Democratic leaders do not understand the struggles of the working class, with confidence in party leadership remaining in the single digits.
Nearly 9 in 10 (87%) say Democratic candidates should reject corporate PAC and billionaire money, warning that the party risks alienating its most motivated voters if it fails to act.
Nearly 2 in 5 (38%) say they definitely will not support a Democratic candidate who accepts corporate PAC or billionaire money. Nearly half (46%) say they’re unlikely to do so, and just 3% said they would.
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