Republican Gabe Evans has defeated Democratic Incumbent Yadira Caraveo in the 8th Congressional District after a neck-and-neck race that was one of the most closely watched elections in the country.
“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 in a statement. “I have spent my entire life running toward challenge, and now I am ready to take on my next challenge–representing our communities in Washington, D.C.”
Caraveo conceded to Evans Sunday, but the Associated Press has yet to call the race. Evans was up by 2,596 votes. Starting on election night, Evans was consistently trailing behind Caraveo, but pulled ahead Friday after a large batch of Weld county votes went in his favor.
Evans, a current State Representative, and former police officer, focused his campaign on issues around crime and immigration. He also pitched himself as someone who can work across the aisle.
Both candidates focused much of their campaigns on courting moderate voters and said they would work to reduce the divisive rhetoric that has come to define American politics if elected. Both campaigns and their supporters, however, used some of the same divisive tactics they denounced, including a steady stream of attack ads. Colorado's 8th District was one of only 22 battleground House races nationwide that were predicted to decide the balance of power in the United States House of Representatives, according to the Cook Political Report, and it received significant national attention. More money was spent on the race during the campaign than any other district in the state.
The district stretches from the suburbs north of Denver up to Greeley along the I-25 corridor and has the largest block of Latino voters in Colorado. It is the state’s newest Congressional seat, and was created following the results of the 2020 US Census.
Evans' win gets Republicans one seat closer to a majority in the US House of Representatives. A number of US House races are still too close to call across the country, according to the Associated Press.
