Gabe Evans unseats Yadira Caraveo in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District

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.

Evans was leading Caraveo with 49% of the vote to her 48% at 3:15 p.m. on Sunday when Caraveo conceded. They were separated by about 2,500 votes.

“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. “While this isn’t the outcome we had hoped for, the work is not over. I look forward to returning to Washington to finish out this term.”

Evans said in a written statement that he was incredibly humbled.

“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 said, thanking Caraveo for her service.

The victory by Evans, an Army veteran and former police officer, dislodges the first Latina elected to Congress from Colorado. Evans is Hispanic, too.

The win will improve Republicans’ chances of keeping control of the U.S. House and securing unified control over the federal government. The GOP has already won control of the U.S. Senate and Republican Donald Trump will be president.

Evans’ victory gives Republicans 214 seats in the House as of Sunday afternoon. They need 218 to maintain their majority.

The race between Evans and Caraveo came down to the wire, with Caraveo holding a narrow lead through Friday evening. That’s when Weld County finished counting its ballots, giving Evans an advantage that Caraveo never recovered from.

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Caraveo’s underperformance in both Weld and Adams counties compared with two years ago, when she beat her Republican opponent in the district by about 1,600 votes. 

The congresswoman’s concession comes despite thousands of ballots in the 8th District that still require “curing,” which is when a voter must provide identification, add a missing signature to their ballot or address why their signature doesn’t match what’s on record with the state before their vote can be counted. 

The deadline for voters to cure their ballots is Wednesday, and both Democrats and Republicans flooded the district to make sure every vote is counted. County clerks have until Thursday to finish counting ballots cast in the 2024 election.

Caraveo’s concession means her campaign believes there aren’t enough ballots needing curing to overcome her deficit.

The race in the 8th District was focused heavily on immigration. About 40% of the district’s population is Latino. Both candidates promised to get tough on illegal border crossings but differed on how to enforce the nation’s immigration laws. 

Abortion also played a central role in the contest, with Caraveo attacking Evans for his unclear and seemingly contradictory statements on the issue. Evans and Republicans, meanwhile, attacked Caraveo over her vote as a state lawmaker to defelonize fentanyl, running an onslaught of ads criticizing that decision.

Nearly $29 million was spent by super PACs on the race, most to benefit Caraveo. That eclipses the $16.6 million spent by super PACs in the district in 2022. 

The race drew a list of big-name politicos into the district to campaign on behalf of Evans and Caraveo. 

“Colorado eight: You are going to decide who has the majority in the Congress going forward,” Johnson said during a stop in Thornton last month to help Evans. “When you talk about the most important races in America, this is, indeed, a top five race.”

U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse, a Lafayette Democrat who is among the top members of the U.S. House, called the 8th District the “center of the universe” heading into Election Day.

“I’m here because this, I believe, is the most critical race in the United States of America. And I don’t say that lightly,” Neguse said. “If we do not send this incredible woman back to represent our community in the United States Congress, then we won’t win a majority in the House.”

Drawn during Colorado’s 2021 redistricting process, the 8th District is the state’s only true tossup congressional district. It spans from the northeast Denver suburbs along U.S. 85 into Greeley.

Evans’ victory is a shot in the arm for Colorado Republicans, who have been on a losing streak since 2018. The party is also set to dismantle the Democratic supermajority in the Colorado House of Representatives.

The last time Colorado Republicans had such a significant win was in 2014, when Cory Gardner unseated Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Udall, the GOP took back control of the state Senate and Republicans won or defended a number of congressional and statewide contests.

There are still no Republicans elected to statewide office in Colorado, but Evans’ victory provides conservatives with a sliver of hope — and a future candidate they can bet on.

Democrats are sure to launch a competitive challenge to Evans in 2026. A number of politicians who live in the 8th District have been eyeing the seat in anticipation of Caraveo’s loss.