Caraveo concedes in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District race

COLORADO, USA — Five days after Election Day, Democratic incumbent Yadira Caraveo conceded to Republican Gabe Evans in the race for Colorado’s 8th Congressional District.

The race has not officially been called by the Associated Press.

As of 3:20 p.m. Sunday, Evans leads Caraveo by 2,596 votes. The AP reports that 92% of votes in the district, which encompasses parts of Larimer, Weld and Adams counties, have been counted.

“It’s been the honor of a lifetime to serve the people of Colorado’s 8th district. I came to Congress to get things done, and have spent the last two years working to find common ground and bipartisan solutions to the most pressing issues facing our community,” Caraveo said in a statement from her campaign. “I would like to thank my family, staff, volunteers, and supporters who believed in this campaign and the vision we set out to achieve.”

“I am incredibly humbled to be chosen as the next Congressman for Colorado’s 8th,” Evans said in a statement posted to his campaign’s social media pages. “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.”

President-elect Donald Trump’s red wave didn’t hit Colorado. About half of Colorado’s counties moved against the national shift toward Trump and slid to the left. This race is the largest pickup for Republicans in the state. Pending an official call, Caraveo’s concession means Colorado Democrats did not hang on to all of their prior U.S. House seats, and the state’s House delegation is now split evenly between Democrats and Republicans. 

Both Republican and Democratic interests spent a significant amount of money on this race.

The 8th Congressional District is a critical pickup for the balance of power in the U.S. House, which currently stands at 203 Democratic to 213 Republican seats. There are 19 races left to be called nationwide, and Republicans have control in the U.S. Senate. Once Colorado’s 8th District is officially called, it could be a critical flip for Republicans to gain a majority in both chambers.

Despite an early November snowstorm, both campaigns were working to cure ballots over the weekend. Thousands of ballots haven’t been processed yet because they were flagged for signature verification. The Evans campaign told 9NEWS Friday they estimated somewhere between 40,000 and 50,000 still needed to be cured. 

The latest results are below: 

> To view all 2024 Colorado election results, click here.

Evans is an Army veteran and former Arvada Police officer. He was formally endorsed by former President Donald Trump on June 3. Caraveo, a pediatrician and former state lawmaker, narrowly beat Republican Barbara Kirkmeyer for the CD8 seat in 2022.

Chris Baum was also on the ballot under the Approval Voting Party, a single-issue party dedicated to implementing a system in the U.S. where voters can select one or more candidates on their ballot. It was recognized as a minor party in Colorado in 2019.

The 8th District includes large population hubs like Thornton, Commerce City and Greeley, marking it a competitive district that encompasses both suburban and rural voters north and east of Denver.

Its active voter makeup is 25% registered Democrat, 22% Republican and 49% unaffiliated, according to May numbers from the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office.