Anti-establishment candidates win several Democratic primaries in Colorado

Anti-establishment candidates defeated several incumbent office-holders in Democratic primary contests in Colorado on Tuesday. In the state's first congressional district, a 29-year-old labour rights activist and lawyer defeated a nearly 30-year incumbent by more than two-to-one.

The winner had called for a full arms embargo on Israel and had been fired from a previous job after refusing to delete a social media post criticising law firms' positions on Israel and Palestine.

District results In the eighth congressional district, a state representative considered more progressive defeated a former state representative. The winner will face the Republican incumbent in November in a district that has changed party control in recent elections. A Democratic senator defeated a primary challenge from a self-described insurgent progressive state senator.

Gubernatorial primary A state attorney general won the Democratic nomination for governor and is expected to face a Republican opponent in November. A sitting U.S. senator was defeated in the same primary. The race was viewed in part as a contest over which candidate would be best positioned to respond to actions by President Donald Trump, who has frozen federal funds to the state and vetoed a major drinking water project.

" The primaries are being watched for signs of which issues are motivating Democratic voters ahead of the November midterms.