Yadira Caraveo Accepts Defeat in Colorado’s 8th District

THE DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSWOMAN THANKS SUPPORTERS AND REAFFIRMS HER COMMITMENT TO REPRESENTING THE DISTRICT UNTIL THE END OF HER TERM.

Newsroom El Comercio de Colorado

“It has been the honor of my life to serve the people of Colorado’s 8th District. I came to Congress to get things done, and I have spent the last two years working to find common ground and bipartisan solutions to the most pressing issues facing our community,” said Congresswoman Yadira Caraveo in her concession message following the election results.

Caraveo continued: “I would like to thank my family, staff, volunteers, and supporters who believed in this campaign and the vision we set out to achieve. Together, we built a diverse, people-powered campaign that brought together a coalition of Democrats, Republicans, and unaffiliated voters. While this isn’t the outcome we had hoped for, the work is not over. I look forward to returning to Washington to complete this term and continue to be an independent voice for the people of this district.”

Context of the Election and Its Implications

Gabe Evans, the Republican candidate, was declared the virtual winner in the closely contested election for the 8th District seat in Colorado, securing 48.98% of the votes (162,002) compared to Caraveo’s 48.20% (159,426). The difference of 2,576 votes between the two does not meet the requirements for a mandatory recount, and it is not expected that the ballots in the “curing” process or the overseas military votes will alter the final result.

The decision by Adams County to resume and complete the vote count in the early hours of November 9 was crucial in the outcome of this race. Although Adams, with a Hispanic voting population of 40%, largely supported Caraveo, this advantage was not enough to secure her re-election in District 8. Meanwhile, Weld and Larimer counties provided their support to Evans, which consolidated his lead.

This result balances Colorado’s congressional delegation with four representatives for each party. Democrats Diana DeGette, Joe Neguse, Jason Crow, and Brittany Pettersen won re-election in Districts 1, 2, 6, and 7, respectively. In contrast, Republicans secured victories in Districts 3, 4, and 5, with Jeff Hurd, Lauren Boebert, and Jeff Crank winning their respective races.

National Impact of the Result

Evans’s victory represents a key addition for Republicans in the House of Representatives, bringing their total to 213 seats compared to the Democrats’ 204. Eighteen seats are still to be assigned, and Republicans would need four additional victories to gain a majority in the House. The party has already gained control of the Senate, with 52 seats compared to the Democrats’ 46.