The United States’ primary elections are revealing that Democratic socialism is on the rise across the country, from New York to Seattle, and now, Colorado. Rep. Gabe Evans, R-Colo., is attributing the movement to young voters and corruption within the education system.

Evans told the Just the News, No Noise TV show on Wednesday that “the socialists have taken over the Democrat Party.” This takeover, according to Evans, began in New York and has moved on to Seattle and now Colorado.

Democratic socialist Melat Kiros defeated nearly 30-year House incumbent Diana DeGette in Colorado’s congressional primary election on Tuesday.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, who both officially took office on Jan. 1, are known for their radical, progressive socialist policies and stances.

Evans thinks socialism at the local level — Mamdani and Wilson, for example — is one thing, but socialism at the federal level is another, and has bigger implications: he sees it as a “threat.”

He recalled the 2018 rise to power of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., who was seen as “kind of on the extreme fringes” at the time. Now, socialism is becoming the “main line” of the Democratic Party, Evans said.

The congressman thinks these socialists’ success is driven by young voters and corruption within the education system. He pointed out that the Colorado Education Association — the largest union of teachers in the state — passed a resolution in 2023 that condemned capitalism, saying it exploits children, land, labor, public schools and resources, and opposes addressing issues such as climate change, education inequality, income inequality, patriarchy and systemic racism.

K-12 Colorado teachers are “steeping our young kids” in the same socialist ideas that the resolution promotes, Evans continued. The children then grow up and go to college, where professors are promoting the same ideas: he cited University of Colorado tenured professor Ward Churchill’s belief that America deserved the 9/11 terrorist attacks, conveyed in an essay and book. This stance ultimately got him fired from the university.

Those same children then ultimately end up voting for socialist candidates.

“This has been building for several decades, and now we're finally seeing it, seeing the results in the electoral results in New York, and places like Colorado,” Evans said.

He mentioned that the state’s Working Families Tax Cut is “one way we’re pushing back” because it ensures children are at the forefront of education once again — not bureaucrats nor a political agenda. 

There were many educational choice options baked into the bill, according to Evans, meaning school districts and schooling options that are doing a good job of educating kids in terms of teaching basics like reading, writing, math and history will be rewarded.

“We are making those generational investments in good education and educational choice and educational freedom, so that we can keep America going for another 250 years,” the congressman continued.

Katherine Pugh is a reporter for Just the News. Follow her on X for more coverage.