DENVER — Political newcomer Melat Kiros was leading longtime U.S. Rep Diana DeGette in the Democratic primary race to represent Colorado’s 1st Congressional District in early results Tuesday evening, representing the possibility of a major upset in the closely watched race.

Kiros — an attorney who has pitched herself as a fresh, non-establishment Democrat — held a 2 percentage point lead with nearly 48% of the vote in the first round of results posted by the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office. DeGette held 45% of the vote in the preliminary results.

The Denver Clerk and Recorder’s Office, which will process most of the votes in the primary contest, plans to release another batch of results at 8:30 p.m. Mountain time.

The election, which politicos across the country are watching closely, may prove to be a bellwether for deep-blue districts that have a new generation of Democrats running against longtime establishment incumbents. DeGette, 68, is taking on Kiros, a 29-year-old attorney, and University of Colorado Regent Wanda James, 62.

James trailed with 7% of the vote in early returns.

Kiros, once seen as a long-shot candidate, gained major momentum in the final weeks leading up to the primary, including an endorsement from Sen. Bernie Sanders. DeGette’s supporters responded to Kiros’ growing profile by pouring millions of dollars into the race this month.

Kiros, who identifies as a democratic socialist, may also catch windfalls from the success of candidates with similar platforms in New York City.

While Kiros and DeGette have similar stances on many policy ideas, Kiros has emphasized that she represents a new generation of politicians who aren’t satisfied with establishment Democrats. The two candidates also differ in how they view the Israel-Hamas war.

Before running for office, Kiros was fired from her high-powered law firm for an open letter she penned that argued it isn’t antisemitic to question Israel’s legitimacy as a state. Jewish groups and fellow progressives have criticized the way Kiros talks about the conflict, including when she refused to say whether a firebomb attack in Boulder on a group of people marching in support of Jewish hostages was antisemitic.

DeGette, meanwhile, is facing her most serious primary challenger ever amid questions over whether she’s accomplished enough in her years in Congress. James and Kiros have argued that DeGette has been unable to deliver meaningful policy wins for Denverites.

James, whose campaign has picked up some meaningful endorsements, has trailed far behind her opponents’ fundraising.

The 1st Congressional District generally follows Denver city boundaries and includes Glendale and Holly Hills. Christy Peterson will be the Republican nominee in the general election after facing no competition in the primary.

DeGette has amassed a huge bank account to fend off her opponents, bringing in more than $1.4 million in contributions and spending $1.2 million, as of the final pre-primary reports filed June 10. Kiros has raised about $660,000 and spent nearly $572,000. James has raised $291,000 and spent $266,000, according to the latest report.

Since then, the candidates have reported additional fundraising in 48-hour reports required for larger donations.

Outside of the candidates themselves, political groups have spent massive amounts on the race, pouring more than $3 million into the election. Most of that money, about $2.4 million, has been to support DeGette and oppose Kiros.

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