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

Republican state Rep. Gabe Evans unseated Democratic U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo in Colorado’s hotly contested 8th Congressional District, a win that marks the largest GOP win in Colorado since 2014.

Evans led Caraveo with 49% of the vote, up from 48% at 3:15 p.m. Sunday, when Caraveo conceded. They were separated by about 2,500 votes.

“It has been an honor of a lifetime to serve the people of Colorado’s 8th District,” Caraveo, a pediatrician and former state legislator, said in a written statement. “Although this is not the outcome we were hoping for, the work is not yet complete. I look forward to returning to Washington to finish this term.”

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

“I am honored to be entrusted with the task of representing you and your families, and I stand ready to fight for a better direction for all Coloradans,” Evans said, thanking Caraveo for her service.

The victory of Evans, an Army veteran and former police officer, ousts the first Latina elected to Congress from Colorado. Evans is also Hispanic.

The victory will improve Republicans’ chances of retaining control of the U.S. House of Representatives and securing unified control of the federal government. The GOP has already won control of the US Senate and Republican Donald Trump becomes president.

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

The race between Evans and Caraveo came down to the wire, with Caraveo holding a narrow lead until Friday evening. At that point, Weld County finished counting its ballots, giving Evans an advantage that Caraveo was never able to recover from.

Caraveo’s performance in Weld and Adams counties was worse than two years ago, when she defeated her Republican opponent in the district by about 1,600 votes.

The congresswoman’s concession comes despite thousands of ballots in the 8th District still needing to be “cured.” This requires a voter to provide identification, add a missing signature on their ballot or explain why their signature does not match state records before their vote can be counted.

The deadline for voters to submit their ballots is Wednesday, and both Democrats and Republicans flocked to the district to ensure every vote was 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 that need to be corrected to make up its deficit.

The 8th District race focused heavily on immigration. About 40% of the county’s population is Latino. Both candidates promised to crack down on illegal border crossings but disagreed on how to enforce the country’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 for voting to decriminalize fentanyl as a state lawmaker, running a barrage of ads criticizing that decision.

Super PACs spent nearly $29 million on the race, most of it going to Caraveo. That surpasses the $16.6 million spent by super PACs in the District in 2022.

The race attracted a list of notable politicians to the district to campaign on behalf of Evans and Caraveo.

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

U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse, a Lafayette Democrat who is a top member of the U.S. House of Representatives, called the 8th District the “center of the universe” ahead of Election Day.

“I am here because, in my opinion, this 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, we will not win a majority in the House of Representatives.”

The 8th District was created as part of Colorado’s 2021 redistricting process and is the state’s only true congressional district. It stretches from the northeastern suburbs of Denver along US 85 to 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 in the process of reducing Democrats’ supermajority in the Colorado House of Representatives.

The last time Colorado Republicans won such a significant victory was in 2014, when Cory Gardner unseated Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Udall, the GOP regained control of the state Senate and Republicans won a number of congressional and state seats won or defended national competitions.

Colorado still hasn’t elected any Republicans to statewide office, but Evans’ victory gives conservatives a glimmer of hope — and a future candidate to bet on.

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