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Socialism goes west as DSA-backed challenger ousts longtime Democrat
Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., a 30-year incumbent, lost to a Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)-backed challenger in a high-profile primary on Tuesday evening.
Melat Kiros, a 29-year-old socialist, defeated DeGette in a Democratic primary for a deep-blue House seat anchored in Denver, according to The Associated Press, scoring a major victory for the socialist left on Tuesday evening.
The DSA had been aiming to cast DeGette’s loss as evidence of its growing momentum after a slate of socialist candidates won Democratic primaries in New York City last week.
"Today, the East Coast, next week the Mountain West," the DSA wrote in a social media post last week.
SOCIALISTS CHEER ‘SHOCKWAVE’ PRIMARY NIGHT AS DSA-BACKED CANDIDATES WIN, ADVANCE ACROSS THE MAP
If elected in November, Kiros, who was born in Ethiopia, will likely join the ranks of the far-left group known as the Squad and become one of a handful of the House chamber's outspoken socialists.
The millennial challenger was endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and the anti-incumbent leftist organization Justice Democrats. Controversial socialist streamer Hasan Piker, who has said Hamas is "a thousand times better" than Israel and praised the Chinese Communist Party, also backed Kiros’ insurgent primary run.
DeGette, a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus who supports abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), sought to win a 16th House term by flexing her leftist bona fides. She argued her seniority on an influential House committee would allow her to push for Medicare-for-All legislation — a longtime priority of the party’s far-left flank.
DeGette, who was endorsed by former CPC Chairwoman Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., also spotlighted her experience as an impeachment manager during Trump’s second impeachment trial in 2021.
Though DeGette and Kiros shared few policy disagreements, they diverged sharply over Israel and antisemitism. Kiros also sharply criticized DeGette for accepting corporate PAC contributions.
Kiros, a PhD student and lawyer, was fired from a New York firm in 2023 after publishing an open letter, arguing that pro-Palestinian student protesters calling for the elimination of Israel were not antisemitic and appearing to defend Hamas.
WATCH: HOUSE DEMS UNLOAD ON TEXAS DEMOCRAT OVER ‘DEMENTED’ ANTISEMITIC COMMENTS
She has also described the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks against the Jewish state as the "inevitable consequence of apartheid" and declined to characterize the deadly firebombing of protesters in Boulder last year who were urging the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza as antisemitic.
"I don't know what was in the heart of the perpetrator," Kiros told Colorado's 9News in a recent television interview. "All I know is that he went and attacked innocent people because of what they might have believed."
A June 2025 bipartisan resolution condemning the attack as part of a "rise in ideologically motivated attacks on Jewish individuals" won every present lawmaker’s support, except for Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who voted present.
Kiros has also suggested the United States deserved 9/11.
"Inevitable in the sense that we destabilized a lot of the Middle East that forced people to believe that another act of violence was the only response," Kiros told 9News when asked if she thought the terror attack was "the inevitable consequence of American foreign policy."
"And again, just like I said before, our responsibility is to get rid of those conditions that lead to violence in the first place," Kiros continued.
DeGette argued that Kiros' embrace of Piker and her comments about antisemitism and 9/11 were disqualifying.
"I’m shocked and disgusted that Kiros is doubling down on excusing terrorism and the murder of innocent people," the 30-year incumbent wrote on Facebook earlier this month.
Colorado’s 1st Congressional District is the most liberal seat in the state and voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris by 56 points in 2024.
The primary fight was further scrambled by University of Colorado Regent Wanda James, also running for DeGette's seat. Though James did not pose the same threat as Kiros, her vote share could ultimately have swayed the contest.
Feds dismantle alleged gun trafficking ring that funneled dozens of firearms from Georgia to Chicago gangs
Federal authorities have dismantled an alleged firearms trafficking ring that prosecutors say funneled dozens of guns from Georgia to Chicago street gangs, with some of the weapons later linked to a juvenile murder and other violent crimes.
Five people were charged in a 23-count federal indictment unsealed this month in the Middle District of Georgia following a Homeland Security Task Force investigation led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Prosecutors said Anthony Edmond and Rafael Enriquez face the most serious charges, including conspiracy involving firearms trafficking, machineguns and drug trafficking. Both face a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted, while three additional defendants also face federal firearms conspiracy charges.
According to court documents, Edmond is allegedly a member of the Chicago-based Black Disciples gang and an associate of another Chicago street gang known as the Conservative Vice Lords.
MORE ILLEGAL MIGRANTS BUSTED RUNNING MASSIVE GUN-RUNNING OPERATIONS
According to prosecutors, Edmond was directed by co-conspirators to make straw purchases of firearms from Georgia gun stores that were later transported and distributed to gang members in the Chicago area.
Prosecutors allege Edmond purchased dozens of firearms from Georgia gun stores between 2020 and 2021, including at least 22 firearms over a 10-month period.
Some of those firearms were allegedly converted into fully automatic weapons and later used in multiple violent crimes, according to the indictment.
MD, BALTIMORE MAYOR TARGET GLOCK FOR SELLING PISTOLS THAT CAN BE CONVERTED INTO MACHINE GUNS
Prosecutors also allege Edmond purchased ammunition, extended magazines and drum magazines, and test-fired firearms before transferring them.
Edmond is also accused of making multiple trips from Georgia to Illinois to deliver the firearms to gang members in Chicago.
Authorities said police recovered 20 firearms allegedly purchased by Edmond in three states between 2021 and 2026.
According to prosecutors, the Chicago Police Department recovered a Glock pistol in 2021 from the bedroom of a known juvenile gang member. Forensic testing later linked the firearm to three separate violent crimes.
Prosecutors allege the pistol was used in a 2021 Chicago murder and later in the shooting of a rival gang member. Investigators said Edmond purchased the firearm in Georgia just 36 days before it was allegedly used in the homicide.
Foul odor at NYC school leads police to body hidden in chimney
Human remains were found in the chimney of a public school in Queens, New York, on Tuesday morning while officials were investigating a foul odor, according to police.
The remains were discovered at P.S./I.S. 113 Anthony J. Pranzo shortly before 9 a.m. Police were called to the elementary and middle school, and authorities are now working to identify the deceased individual.
The city’s medical examiner removed the remains and will determine the cause of death.
MYSTERY OF REMAINS FOUND INSIDE SLEEPING BAG IN OLYMPIC PARK SOLVED AFTER 26 YEARS
It is unclear how long the remains had been there or how they ended up in the chimney.
No students or staff were in the building when the remains were uncovered, as school ended for the summer on Friday and the school was closed for construction, police said.
Contractors had been working on the building over the last few days, and police are now trying to confirm whether all the workers have been accounted for, according to the New York Daily News.
Permits were obtained for wiring, hot water heating and other work, City Buildings Department records show.
The City Department of Education described the discovery of the corpse as "deeply upsetting and concerning."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Boy, 2, pulled alive from rubble six days after Venezuela's devastating twin earthquakes
Emergency workers in Venezuela on Tuesday rescued a 2-year-old boy who had been trapped beneath the rubble for six days, marking the only reported rescue of a survivor on the sixth day of operations following last week's devastating earthquakes.
Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez said in a Telegram post that Jordanian emergency workers pulled the child from a collapsed building in La Guaira, where the worst destruction from last week's earthquakes occurred.
The child, identified by authorities as Klieber Moran, was rescued after spending six days trapped beneath the rubble, Rodríguez said.
Moran was taken to a hospital for treatment, she added.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PLEDGES $150M IN AID, DEPLOYS NAVY WARSHIPS AFTER DEADLY VENEZUELA EARTHQUAKES
National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez said in a televised address Tuesday that officials remain hopeful more survivors will be found.
"We must hold onto the hope of continuing to find people alive beneath the rubble," Jorge said. "Early this morning, a 2-year-old boy was rescued and is currently receiving care at a health center in Caracas."
Rescue efforts have continued since magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes struck Venezuela's northern coast last Wednesday.
DEATH TOLL FROM VENEZUELA EARTHQUAKES RISES TO AT LEAST 235, WITH THOUSANDS REPORTED MISSING
The death toll from the twin earthquakes rose to 1,943 on Tuesday, with more than 10,500 people injured, according to Venezuelan officials. On Monday, the death toll stood at 1,719.
Tuesday's rescue marked another glimmer of hope amid the disaster that has devastated the South American country.
On Saturday, the U.S. State Department shared video showing American search-and-rescue teams pulling an infant alive from beneath the rubble in Venezuela.
EX-MLB PLAYER SAYS WIFE DIED IN DEVASTATING VENEZUELA EARTHQUAKES
The infant, who is 9 months old, was rescued along with her mother, the State Department told Fox News Digital. Both suffered only minor injuries, according to the rescue team.
"Against impossible odds, hope endures," the State Department posted on X.
On Tuesday, a shipment from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) containing 47 metric tons of humanitarian supplies arrived in Venezuela.
FORMER METS PITCHER NARROWLY ESCAPES DEATH IN VENEZUELA EARTHQUAKES THANKS TO ELEVATOR MALFUNCTION
The shipment includes emergency health kits for urgent medical care, including supplies for safe births, newborn care, disease prevention and treatment, according to the United Nations.
Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams from Virginia, California and Florida were dispatched to Venezuela on Friday to help search collapsed buildings.
According to the State Department, the three USAR teams include 312 personnel and 18 canine teams, made up of firefighters, physicians, structural engineers and canine search specialists, and deployed with more than 200,000 pounds of specialized rescue equipment.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Willson Contreras at the center of benches-clearing scuffle, throws helmet at Nationals pitcher
Absolute bedlam broke loose at Fenway Park Tuesday night.
The Red Sox and Nationals turned a regular June game into the biggest baseball brawl of the season after Boston hothead Willson Contreras completely lost it.
Commissioner Rob Manfred can't hop on the phone fast enough.
It all started in the fourth inning when Nationals right-hander Cade Cavalli punched out a visibly frustrated Contreras and barked at him to "sit down."
Contreras immediately erupted. He charged the mound, and the dugouts and bullpens emptied as the infield turned into a full-blown brawl. Contreras eventually broke free from the sea of players trying to hold him back, reigniting the chaos.
WATCH:
Things hit a boiling point when Contreras leaped into the air and hurled his batting helmet directly at Cavalli.
The umpires issued a flurry of ejections. Contreras was tossed immediately, while Red Sox outfielder Nate Eaton, interim manager Chad Tracy and Washington pitcher Miles Mikolas were all sent to the showers early.
Tuesday night's explosion from Contreras had actually been 24 hours in the making.
On Monday night, Contreras was ejected in the second inning after a check-swing strikeout prompted him to give a sarcastic ABS challenge gesture at the umpire, earning an instant boot. Earlier that day, Contreras had broken down in tears while talking about the deadly earthquakes that devastated his native Venezuela.
RED SOX STAR WEEPS FOR EARTHQUAKE-HIT VENEZUELA AFTER HOME RUN, GETS TOSSED BY UMPIRE MINUTES LATER
By getting ejected on consecutive nights, the 34-year-old capped one of the wildest 48-hour stretches of his career.
But MLB isn't exactly in the empathy business.
When you turn your batting helmet into a weapon, the suspension hammer is coming regardless.
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela
DOJ says 11 migrants indicted in multi-state sex trafficking, drug, firearms case
Federal prosecutors have charged 11 Venezuelan and Colombian nationals — 10 of whom the Justice Department says are currently unlawfully present in the United States — in a sweeping, multi-state criminal case alleging the defendants trafficked a minor and an adult woman for sex while also dealing drugs and illegally trafficking firearms, the Justice Department announced Tuesday.
Ten of the defendants were arrested Tuesday during coordinated law enforcement operations in Ohio, Tennessee, North Carolina and Florida, while one remains at large. Prosecutors said 10 of the 11 defendants are currently in the United States illegally.
A 30-count federal indictment, returned June 11 and unsealed Tuesday, alleges four defendants conspired between July and August 2025 to sex traffic a minor and an adult woman. The Justice Department’s announcement appears to contain conflicting references to the minor’s age, describing the alleged victim as 17 in one section and 14 in a quote from the U.S. attorney.
DHS HAS ONLY 7 CHILD EXPLOITATION ANALYSTS, HAWLEY MEASURE WOULD FUND 200 INVESTIGATORS
According to the Justice Department, the defendants traveled across state lines to promote prostitution and created online commercial sex advertisements in the central Ohio area.
Beyond the alleged sex trafficking scheme, prosecutors say members of the group also sold ecstasy and trafficked firearms, including at least nine guns. Some defendants are additionally accused of illegally possessing firearms while in the country.
"These defendants — ten of whom are currently illegally present in this country — allegedly engaged in a panoply of illicit trafficking activity, from drugs to firearms to human beings," U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II said. "We have no tolerance for anybody who commits such crimes in our communities, and we will prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law."
The charges stem from an investigation led by a Homeland Security Task Force.
"We will continue to work hard to keep Ohio safe and get narcotics, firearms, and violent criminals off the streets," FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Jason Cromartie said.
Acting Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey said the indictment demonstrates the task force's commitment to protecting communities from transnational criminal organizations accused of exploiting vulnerable victims while trafficking drugs and firearms.
BIDEN JUDGE OVERRULED ON KEY TRUMP IMMIGRATION POLICY
Among those charged are six defendants living in Ohio. They include Venezuelan nationals Jean Pierre Alejandro Guillen Salcedo, 30, and Taidin Adreina Ferrer Guillen, 34, both of Hilliard; Venezuelan nationals Pedro Angel Colls-Flores, 34, and Alismar Daniela Contreras-Arevalo, 20, both of Columbus; and Colombian nationals Briyi Daniela Ordonez-Iter, 21, of Hilliard, and Julian David Patino Pena, 33, of Columbus.
Two additional defendants are Venezuelan nationals living in Tennessee: John Alexandre Fajardo-Ulzcategui, 27, and Jose Ruben Sanchez-Pena, 34, both of Smyrna.
The remaining defendants are Venezuelan national Keivar Elian Guillen Salcedo, 26, of Charlotte, North Carolina; Venezuelan national Therry Brayant Leon Gavida, 34, of Jacksonville, Florida; and Venezuelan national Dervin Alejandro Colmenares Quintero, 29, whose residence is listed as Mexico.
The Justice Department said the case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established under President Donald Trump's Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The initiative is intended to target transnational criminal organizations, foreign gangs, human trafficking networks and violent criminal aliens operating in the United States.
An indictment contains allegations only. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Justice Department seeking clarification about an apparent discrepancy in its announcement regarding the age of one of the alleged trafficking victims and will update this story if a response is received.
Anti-Trump senator defeated by far-left rival after heated gubernatorial primary
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser defeated Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., in Colorado’s Democratic primary for governor Tuesday, blocking Bennet’s attempted move from the Senate to the governor's residence and putting Weiser in position as the favorite to replace term-limited Democratic Gov. Jared Polis.
Weiser’s win over Bennet, a three-term senator and former 2020 presidential candidate, marked a major upset in one of the most closely watched Democratic primaries of the year. The winner of the Democratic nomination is favored in November in a state where Democrats have dominated recent statewide elections.
The result also means Bennet is expected to remain in the Senate, avoiding what would have been a major vacancy fight had he won the governorship in November.
COLORADO DEPUTY COULD FACE MASSIVE FINE FOR SHARING INFORMATION WITH IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES
"Phil has dedicated his life to the law, justice, and public service," says Weiser's campaign website. "As your Governor he will continue to advance the rule of law, protect our democracy, and promote justice for all. Phil Weiser will continue to defend and protect every Coloradan across the state."
The primary battle pitted two high-profile Colorado Democrats against each other — Bennet, a three-term senator and former 2020 presidential candidate, and Weiser, the state’s two-term attorney general.
Polis, a Democrat, is barred by term limits from seeking another term after eight years in office.
MAMDANI-BACKED SOCIALISTS LOOK TO TAKE NEW YORK PLAYBOOK NATIONWIDE AFTER PRIMARY VICTORIES
Bennet entered the primary with support from much of Colorado’s Democratic establishment, with his campaign listing endorsements from more than 200 Colorado leaders, including Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., Reps. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., Jason Crow, D-Colo., and Brittany Pettersen, D-Colo., along with state legislative leaders and labor groups.
Weiser’s campaign, meanwhile, touted support from former Colorado Gov. Roy Romer, former Rep. Ed Perlmutter, former Denver Mayor Federico Peña, former Sen. Tim Wirth and a long list of local officials, state lawmakers and progressive organizations.
Bennet argued during the race that he could be more effective fighting Trump and advancing policy as governor, while Weiser leaned on his experience as Colorado’s attorney general and his legal background as he made the case for his own campaign.
Barb Kirkmeyer was leading the Republican primary for governor Tuesday evening as the Dem primary was called.
Whether Kirkmeyer or one of her trailing opponents, Victor Marx or Scott Bottoms, the GOP nominee faces an uphill battle against Weiser in November.
Ex-talk show host will take on former chief advisor to Kamala Harris’ husband
Jessica Killin won the Democratic primary in Colorado’s 5th Congressional District on Tuesday, setting up a November match-up against incumbent Rep. Jeff Crank, R-Colo., for the Colorado Springs-based seat.
Killin, a former Army captain and former chief of staff to second gentleman Doug Emhoff, defeated fellow Army veteran and nonprofit leader Joe Reagan, according to the Associated Press. The result means she will take on Crank, who ran unopposed in the Republican primary and is seeking a second term representing the district, which is centered on Colorado Springs and most of El Paso County, including several military-heavy communities.
Killin entered the race as a first-time candidate with national support and strong fundraising, while Reagan, who ran for the seat in 2024, leaned on his local roots, combat service and nonprofit work helping veterans open businesses.
PROGRESSIVE MOMENTUM HITS SPEED BUMP AS VETERAN DEMOCRAT FENDS OFF CHALLENGER IN COLORADO
MAMDANI-BACKED SOCIALISTS LOOK TO TAKE NEW YORK PLAYBOOK NATIONWIDE AFTER PRIMARY VICTORIES
The general election will test whether Democrats can make gains in a Republican-leaning district that includes Fort Carson and the Air Force Academy, along with fast-growing Colorado Springs suburbs.
The race drew national attention from Democrats because the Colorado Springs-based district, long a Republican stronghold, has shown signs of becoming more competitive. The Colorado Sun reported that Trump’s margin in El Paso County, which largely overlaps with the 5th District, fell from 22 points in 2016 to 10 points in 2024, while Republican margins in the House race have also narrowed over the past decade.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) added Killin to its Red to Blue program, signaling national Democrats viewed the Republican-held seat as a potential pickup opportunity, even though the district remains GOP-leaning.
The district's current incumbent, Crank, is a former Capitol Hill staffer of seven years, who subsequently moved back home to Colorado where he served as Vice President for the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce, Chief Operating Officer at nonprofit Americans for Prosperity and president of his own real estate investment company, according to his campaign website.
Crank's background in broadcasting includes hosting both The Jeff Crank Show in Colorado and the American Potential Podcast.
Killin aligned herself with a centrist Democratic push shortly before the primary, signing onto an initiative that described its signatories as "capitalist, not socialist" and emphasized public safety, fiscal responsibility, secure borders and national pride.
Meanwhile, Killin said during an online news conference that candidates aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America "should not be the face of our party," according to local news outlet Colorado Politics.
State Department congratulates Keiko Fujimori as Peru's president-elect following razor-thin vote count
The State Department on Tuesday congratulated conservative candidate Keiko Fujimori after she was declared the winner of Peru’s presidential runoff election by a razor-thin margin.
The statement marked a significant milestone in Latin American relations, with Washington signaling it expects to work closely with Fujimori’s administration on shared priorities.
"The United States congratulates President-Elect Keiko Fujimori of Peru on her important electoral victory," the department said.
"The Trump Administration looks forward to deepening collaboration with the Fujimori Administration to advance security cooperation and to strengthen bilateral cooperation on investment and trade in our region."
TRUMP ADMIN WARNS PERU IT COULD LOSE SOVEREIGNTY AS CHINA TIGHTENS GRIP ON NATION
Her victory comes as Washington seeks to strengthen ties with pro-market allies in Latin America amid growing Chinese economic influence in the region.
Beijing recently completed the Chancay deepwater port in Peru — a $1.3 billion mega-project that serves as China’s key logistics hub on the Pacific coast.
Fujimori’s tough stance on organized crime also aligns with U.S. efforts to expand regional security and anti-trafficking cooperation.
BIDEN, XI TO MEET ON SATURDAY IN PERU, US OFFICIALS SAY
Fujimori was declared the winner Monday by Peru’s National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE), the electoral authority responsible for reporting vote count results. The country’s final authority on election matters, the National Jury of Elections (JNE), has yet to issue its official proclamation, according to Reuters.
According to the ONPE, Fujimori secured 50.1% of the vote, winning by fewer than 50,000 votes out of roughly 18 million ballots cast.
Her victory over leftist challenger Roberto Sánchez marks her fourth presidential bid and makes her Peru’s first female president-elect.
The result caps a deeply divisive election cycle in a country that has gone through nine presidents in the past decade.
Fujimori is also the daughter of former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori, who ruled the country during the 1990s.
Fujimori’s presidency marks a return of her family’s political brand to Peru’s highest office — a movement that has long carried a complicated relationship with the United States.
While Washington once backed her father for his fight against communist guerrillas and economic reforms in the 1990s, the U.S. later condemned his government over the dismantling of democratic institutions and allegations of human rights abuses.
Keiko Fujimori has since spent more than two decades attempting to reshape "Fujimorismo" into a modern conservative, law-and-order political movement.
Peruvians voted in favor of Fujimori amid a surge in violent crime, extortion and years of political instability.
Fujimori campaigned on an "iron fist" approach to security and a pledge to protect Peru’s free-market economy, while her opponent focused on rural economic grievances.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Mamdani comparisons follow Colorado Democrat into pivotal House race after primary win
Manny Rutinel, a Democratic candidate for Congress in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District, won a primary race on Tuesday evening, securing his party’s bid to challenge incumbent Rep. Gabe Evans, R-Colo.
Rutinel, a member of the state’s House of Representatives, faces one of the country’s most competitive races that could help decide the balance of power in Washington, D.C., where Republicans hold a governing trifecta across the House, Senate and Oval Office.
Democrats see seats like this district as a prime opportunity to pry away the GOP’s narrow grip on the House, where they have a slim majority.
Evans, the current seat holder, won the election in 2024 by just 0.8%.
REPUBLICAN GABE EVANS WINS COLORADO'S 8TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, BEATING INCUMBENT YADIRA CARAVEO
Rutinel, a former state legislator, has pitched himself as a Democrat ready to protect government programs against GOP cuts and protect minorities against government overreach.
On his website, he lists protecting Social Security and Medicaid, expanding tax credits, ending Trump’s immigration crackdown, and lowering housing costs among his top priorities.
"I was raised on Medicaid. It's deeply personal for me and now Donald Trump and Gabe Evans are trying to destroy it to give tax breaks to their billionaire buddies," Rutinel said in a campaign video posted to Instagram.
"I’m afraid of Donald Trump continuing to destroy our democracy and our economy and making life impossible for working people and Latino immigrants across the country."
REPUBLICANS TARGET 2 KEY DEMOCRATIC RACES WITH MAMDANI CONNECTION STRATEGY
Because his platform includes elements like expanding taxes on the rich and universal healthcare, Republicans have made efforts to paint Rutinel as in the same vein as New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
"Those policies may sell in New York, but Coloradans aren’t buying it," a spokesperson for Gabe Evans told Fox News Digital when asked about the similarities back in November.
Evan's campaign echoed that thinking in its reaction to Rutinel's win on Tuesday evening.
"Democrats have chosen a far-left, radical socialist, Mamdani-wanna-be extremist — someone who supports eliminating oil and gas, defunding law enforcement, calling farmers and ranchers horrific and threatening the industries that power our economy. As a former cop, Army veteran, grandson of Mexican immigrants, husband, father and the proud Representative of this district, I’ll continue fighting to protect and uplift Colorado’s hardworking families while keeping our communities safe and our economy strong," Evans said in a statement.
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) also issued a statement on Tuesday evening.
"The socialist takeover of the Democrat Party is no longer confined to deep-blue strongholds. The radicals are taking over battleground districts, putting must-win seats out of reach for Democrats and sinking their chances of flipping the House," Mike Marinella, a spokesperson for the NRCC said.
Moreover, the Congressional Leadership Fund, an arm of the House Republican fundraising apparatus, highlighted a video posted to Instagram of a Mamdani campaign rally, offering it as proof that Rutinel belongs in the same bucket as Mamdani.
The video briefly shows someone who appears to be Rutinel standing behind Mamdani.
SCOOP: HOUSE REPUBLICANS LINK MAYOR-ELECT MAMDANI TO VULNERABLE CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATS
"What does the CO-08 race have in common with the NYC Mayoral Race? Democrat Manny Rutinel is campaigning in both," CLF pointed out in one of its ads.
Having secured his party’s nomination, Rutinel will face off against Evans in the general election on Nov. 3.