Colorado House Minority Leader Jarvis Caldwell said Tuesday during an appearance on Newsmax that Democratic Party primaries in Colorado could accelerate what he described as a leftward shift within the party, arguing the state's one-party Democratic control has created conditions for an ideological battle that mirrors recent progressive victories elsewhere.

Speaking to Newsmax’s “National Report” ahead of Colorado's primary elections, Caldwell said the contests, including the closely watched Democratic Party primary in Colorado's 1st Congressional District, could signal whether progressive candidates continue to gain momentum after recent wins in New York. 

The race pits longtime Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., against Democratic Socialist-backed challenger Melat Kiros in what many Democrats have acknowledged is one of the party's most closely watched primaries this cycle.

"What your audience needs to understand is that here in Colorado, the Democrats have had one-party control since 2018, and they've had such a majority here. They actually had a supermajority two years ago in the state House," Caldwell said.

"When you get a big majority like that, eventually they turn on each other. And that's what we're seeing right now. There's an open civil war in the Democratic Party here in Colorado, and we're finally seeing it come to fruition."

Caldwell added, "What happened in New York City a couple weeks ago with their election and the socialist takeover, I think, is about to happen here in Colorado, unfortunately."

The Democratic Party primary has drawn national attention, with millions of dollars in outside spending and endorsements from prominent progressive figures, as party leaders watch for signs of whether anti-establishment candidates can defeat entrenched incumbents.

Asked about DeGette's vulnerability despite serving in Congress since 1997, Caldwell argued that policy differences between the incumbent and her challenger are minimal.

"Congresswoman DeGette is actually very far left and very progressive. And her and Miss Kiros, they actually hold a lot of the same positions, whether that's abolishing ICE, Medicare for all, open borders," he said.

"So as far as policy goes, as a Republican looking at it, I don't see much of a difference. But you are hearing from Colorado voters that DeGette isn't present enough, and they just don't know what she's doing now.

"And so there's a new fresh face coming in with, frankly, the same policies, but with the new label of socialists," he continued. "And that seems to be really appealing, especially to the young and the unaffiliated voters here in Colorado, which are the biggest voting bloc here in Colorado."

Caldwell said voter frustration with Colorado's economic conditions has fueled interest in progressive challengers.

"It's a new fresh face," he said. "And what I always point out is the Colorado voters are very frustrated with the state of Colorado right now.

"We're number two in the nation in crime. We're number 49th in housing affordability. We're number 48th in cost of living," he said. "It is a bad time in Colorado right now economically. And if you look at the crime statistics, but it is the one-party control from the Democrats, in my opinion, that caused all these problems."

He argued that replacing one Democrat with another would not address those concerns.

"Now voters, unfortunately, are looking to a different Democrat to try to fix those problems. But unfortunately, because they have the same policies, I think we're going to get the same results, if not even worse, if we select Miss Kiros," he said.

Caldwell also predicted that moderate Democrats would continue losing ground to candidates further to the left.

"What I've witnessed here in the statehouse in Colorado is that even what you would consider a moderate Democrat here has been forced further to the left over the last couple years in order to basically stave off primaries," he said.

"What I had warned my moderate Democrat colleagues over the last couple years is, 'Hey, it's not going to save you. You can never be far left enough. And so, actually stand for something, actually represent your constituents and actually be a moderate.'

"Unfortunately, they've went further to the left to try to save themselves, and it's not going to work out, I don't believe, for them," he added. "I think the progressive Democrats, the socialist Democrats are going to have some big wins today, unfortunately."

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