Republican state Rep. Gabe Evans has unseated Democratic U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo in Colorado’s highly competitive 8th Congressional District, a win that represents the biggest victory for the GOP in Colorado since 2014.
“It’s been the honor of a lifetime to serve the people of Colorado’s 8th District,” Caraveo, a pediatrician and former state lawmaker, said in a written statement.
The race between Evans and Caraveo came down to the wire, with Caraveo holding a narrow lead through Friday evening.
Evans’ victory is a shot in the arm for Colorado Republicans, who have been on a losing streak since 2018.
A number of politicians who live in the 8th District have been eyeing the seat in anticipation of Caraveo’s loss.
Republican state Rep. The Democratic U has been overthrown by Gabe Evans. S. . Rep. Yadira Caraveo in Colorado’s fiercely contested 8th Congressional District, marking the GOP’s largest victory in the state since 2014.
At 3:15 p.m., Evans had 49 percent of the vote, compared to Caraveo’s 48 percent. A. on Sunday after Caraveo gave in. Approximately 2,500 votes separated them.
In a written statement, pediatrician and former state lawmaker Caraveo said, “Serving the people of Colorado’s 8th District has been an honor of a lifetime.”. “The work is not done, even though this isn’t the result we were hoping for. I’m excited to go back to Washington and complete this term. “”.
In a document, Evans expressed his profound humility.
Evans thanked Caraveo for her service, saying, “It is an honor to be entrusted with the job of representing you and your families, and I am ready to fight back for a better direction for all Coloradans.”.
Evans, a former police officer and Army veteran, defeated the first Latina elected to Congress from Colorado. In addition, Evans is Hispanic.
Republicans will have a better chance of maintaining control of the U.S. if they win. S. house and gaining unified authority over the federal government. The United States is already under GOP control. S. Donald Trump, a Republican, will be the president and senator.
As of Sunday afternoon, Evans’ win gives Republicans 214 House seats. In order to keep their majority, they need 218.
Evans and Caraveo’s race came down to the wire, with Caraveo maintaining a slim lead until Friday night. With Weld County having completed its ballot counting at that point, Evans had an advantage from which Caraveo never fully recovered.
Caraveo’s poor showing in Weld and Adams counties contrasts with her victory over her Republican opponent in the district two years prior, when she won by roughly 1,600 votes.
The congresswoman’s concession is made in spite of the fact that thousands of ballots in the 8th District still need to be “cured,” which is the process by which a voter must present identification, add a missing signature, or explain why their signature differs from what the state has on file before their vote can be counted.
Democrats and Republicans flocked to the district to ensure that every vote is counted as voters have until Wednesday to cure their ballots. County clerks have until Thursday to complete the 2024 election ballot count.
Because of Caraveo’s concession, her campaign thinks that not enough ballots need to be cured to make up the difference.
In the 8th District race, immigration was a major issue. In the district, Latinos make up about 40% of the population. While both candidates pledged to crack down on unauthorized border crossings, they had different ideas about how to implement the country’s immigration regulations.
Another major theme in the debate was abortion, with Caraveo criticizing Evans for making ambiguous and seemingly incongruous remarks on the subject. In the meantime, Caraveo was the target of a barrage of advertisements from Republicans and Evans criticizing her vote to defelonize fentanyl as a state lawmaker.
Super PACs spent almost $29 million on the race, with the majority going to Caraveo. That surpasses $16.6 million that super PACs spent in the district in 2022.
A number of well-known politicians traveled to the district to campaign for Evans and Caraveo as a result of the race.
Johnson made a stop in Thornton last month to assist Evans, saying, “Colorado eight: You are going to decide who has the majority in the Congress going forward.”. When discussing the most significant races in America, this one is undoubtedly among the top five. “.”.
U. S. Representative. One of the most prominent members of the U.S. Congress is Lafayette Democrat Joe Neguse. S. According to House, the 8th District is the “center of the universe” before Election Day.
This is the most important race in the United States of America, which is why I’m here. Neguse added, “And I don’t say that lightly. We won’t have a majority in the House if we don’t send this amazing woman back to represent our community in the US Congress. “”.
The 8th District is the only genuine tossup congressional district in Colorado, having been drawn during the state’s 2021 redistricting process. It extends from the suburbs of northeast Denver along U. S. Greeley at 85.
Evans’ win is a welcome relief for Colorado Republicans, who haven’t won since 2018. The party also intends to destroy the Colorado House of Representatives’ Democratic supermajority.
When Cory Gardner defeated Democratic U.S. Senatorial candidate Cory Gardner in 2014, Colorado Republicans had their last major victory. S. . Sen. Mark Udall, Republicans won or defended several congressional and statewide elections, and the GOP regained control of the state Senate.
Evans’ win gives conservatives hope and a future candidate they can trust, even though no Republicans have been elected to statewide office in Colorado yet.
In 2026, Evans will undoubtedly face a fierce challenge from Democrats. In anticipation of Caraveo’s defeat, several politicians from the 8th District have been vying for the seat.
