A 28-year-old attorney who lost her job after speaking out about the Israeli government's actions has announced a surprise bid for Congress in Colorado, promising to challenge the status quo and take on big money in politics. Melat Kiros, who was fired from her job in 2023 after writing a critical post about law firms that oppose pro-Palestine protests, is running against a nearly three-decade incumbent, Rep. Diana DeGette.
Kiros's campaign focuses on taking on the issue of big money in politics and its impact on free speech, particularly when it comes to human rights issues like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. She has called for an end to U.S. military aid to Israel and an Israeli arms embargo, citing the country's genocide in Gaza.
DeGette, who has taken millions of dollars from pro-Israel groups throughout her career, has a mixed record on the issue. While she has described herself as a longtime supporter of Israel, she has also voted with other Democrats for bills that affirm Israel's right to self-defense without mentioning Palestinian civilians.
Kiros is running in Colorado's 1st Congressional District and faces an uphill battle against DeGette, who has a fundraising advantage and more than three decades of experience in the party. However, Kiros's campaign has attracted attention from progressive groups like Justice Democrats, which has endorsed her bid for Congress.
The endorsement comes after two years of intense scrutiny of Democratic lawmakers' ties to pro-Israel groups and their willingness to challenge policies that benefit Israel over Palestinian civilians. Justice Democrats is pushing a new strategy this cycle, focusing on challenging incumbents who are beholden to corporate donors and trying to build a bench in Congress to fight authoritarianism.
The campaign highlights the growing disillusionment among younger voters with the Democratic Party's approach to issues like Israel and Palestine. Kiros is part of a generation that feels suffocated by the constraints of a system that rewards complacency over courage.
"I got messages from hundreds of attorneys afterwards saying that they wish they could speak up too, but that they couldn’t afford to lose their job, that they couldn’t afford to lose their health insurance," Kiros said in an interview. "She doesn’t think there’s true freedom of expression exists “when you can’t speak out on basic human rights without it risking your job.”
Kiros's campaign focuses on taking on the issue of big money in politics and its impact on free speech, particularly when it comes to human rights issues like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. She has called for an end to U.S. military aid to Israel and an Israeli arms embargo, citing the country's genocide in Gaza.
DeGette, who has taken millions of dollars from pro-Israel groups throughout her career, has a mixed record on the issue. While she has described herself as a longtime supporter of Israel, she has also voted with other Democrats for bills that affirm Israel's right to self-defense without mentioning Palestinian civilians.
Kiros is running in Colorado's 1st Congressional District and faces an uphill battle against DeGette, who has a fundraising advantage and more than three decades of experience in the party. However, Kiros's campaign has attracted attention from progressive groups like Justice Democrats, which has endorsed her bid for Congress.
The endorsement comes after two years of intense scrutiny of Democratic lawmakers' ties to pro-Israel groups and their willingness to challenge policies that benefit Israel over Palestinian civilians. Justice Democrats is pushing a new strategy this cycle, focusing on challenging incumbents who are beholden to corporate donors and trying to build a bench in Congress to fight authoritarianism.
The campaign highlights the growing disillusionment among younger voters with the Democratic Party's approach to issues like Israel and Palestine. Kiros is part of a generation that feels suffocated by the constraints of a system that rewards complacency over courage.
"I got messages from hundreds of attorneys afterwards saying that they wish they could speak up too, but that they couldn’t afford to lose their job, that they couldn’t afford to lose their health insurance," Kiros said in an interview. "She doesn’t think there’s true freedom of expression exists “when you can’t speak out on basic human rights without it risking your job.”
I'm telling ya, back in my day we didn't have all these deep pockets influencing politicians... or so I thought. 
It's wild that Melat Kiros lost her job for speaking out about the Israeli government's actions and now she's taking on the system herself! 
She's got some guts, you know? And it's not just about Israel-Palestine either, it's about the whole big money in politics thing. I mean, who needs all that cash to make decisions for us? 
I don't get why people are losing their jobs just for speaking up about some issues. Like, isn't that what free speech is all about? 
It sounds like Melat Kiros got fired because she was brave enough to speak out against something important. That's not right! 
She's running for Congress to make sure people can still express themselves without fear of losing everything. I think it's a great idea and we need more people like her in politics. 
melat kiros is like a breath of fresh air, you know? she's not afraid to take on the system and challenge the status quo. i mean, can't we all use more people like her in politics? 
so i'm loving that kiros is shaking things up. justice democrats endorsing her is a big deal too - they're all about challenging the establishment and building a more progressive congress. i'm rooting for melat all the way 
. It's like, can't we just have open and honest discussions about these issues without fear of repercussions? 
It's like, where's the courage in that kind of thing? 
. And with Justice Democrats endorsing her bid, it's clear that some people are finally listening 
.
. We need more leaders like her who aren't afraid to speak truth to power 
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her record is whack, kiros has the fire 
57% believe an Israeli arms embargo should be implemented 
kiros is all about taking on big money in politics and fighting for real free speech 
, but also really worried that she's gonna get steamrolled by DeGette 
, and i think that's something we should be celebrating 
.
? or can she actually challenge the status quo and bring some real change to Congress? 
. I think it's amazing that she's taking a stand and running for Congress despite the odds 
. Her campaign message about big money in politics is really resonating with people on both sides of the aisle 
. I'm curious to see how her campaign will play out against DeGette - it'll be interesting to see how the democratic party responds to this new generation of leaders 
.
I'm a bit torn about this whole thing... I mean, I get why Melat Kiros is speaking up and standing up for what she believes in, but at the same time, I worry that she's gonna get lost in the noise. 
It's about time more progressive voices are being amplified. Kiros's experience as an attorney and her willingness to risk everything for the cause is truly inspiring 
But I'm here for it. We need more people like Kiros who are willing to take risks and challenge the system. Bring it on! 
I mean, who wouldn't want to challenge the status quo & take on big money in politics? It's about time we have more reps like Kiros who are willing to speak out against injustices 
We need more courage & conviction in our leaders, especially when it comes to human rights issues. Let's go Melat! 
I mean, losing her job for speaking out against the Israeli government's actions is just, wow. That takes a lot of courage, you know? 
Can we talk about how inspiring it is that she's part of a generation that's willing to take on the system and fight for what's right? 
The fact that Justice Democrats is endorsing Kiros's campaign is amazing - they're pushing a new strategy that could really shake things up in Congress.
. This election is all about courage vs complacency, and Kiros is leading the charge 
. She's not beholden to anyone and is actually willing to challenge the status quo, even if it means going up against a powerful incumbent.
. We need more people like her in Congress, not less. And DeGette's record on this issue? Forget about it 
. She's all about playing both sides and taking the easy way out.
. We need more people speaking truth to power and less of the same old politics as usual 
.
so Melat Kiros is like the ultimate rebel, got fired from her job for speaking truth to power and now she's like "hey, I'm gonna challenge the establishment in Congress"? 
kinda love the fact that she's taking on the big money in politics and pushing for change. it's about time someone with a personal stake (aka getting fired) got behind the mic to speak out. 