On November 11, 2024, Democrat Representative Yadira Caraveo from Colorado officially conceded to her Republican challenger Gabe Evans on Sunday, November 10th, bringing the Republican Party one step closer to gaining control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
The 8th Congressional District of Colorado was a battleground in the recent U.S. election, with Caraveo announcing her defeat in a tough re-election campaign on Sunday.
The congresswoman, who was first elected in the 2022 midterms, stated in a release on Sunday, “Serving the people of the 8th District of Colorado has been an honor of a lifetime. I came to Congress to do the work that needed to be done, and over the past two years, I’ve been working tirelessly to find common ground and bipartisan solutions to address the most pressing issues facing our community.”
“I want to thank my family, staff, volunteers, and supporters who believed in this campaign and the vision we aimed to achieve,” the statement continued. “Together, we built a diverse, grassroots campaign that united Democrats, Republicans, and independent voters. While this may not have been the outcome we hoped for, the work is not over. I look forward to returning to Washington to finish this term and continue to be an independent voice for the people of this district.”
Following Caraveo’s concession, Evans’ campaign team released a statement.
Evans wrote, “To be elected as the next Representative of Colorado’s 8th District, I am incredibly humbled. It’s an honor to be entrusted to represent you and your families, and I am prepared to fight for a better direction for all Coloradans.”
He then expressed gratitude to his family, campaign staff, and volunteers, also thanking his opponent.
“I also appreciate the service and gracious concession of Representative Yadira Caraveo,” Evans wrote. “I look forward to working with her and her team in the coming months to complete the transition of this office.”
As of Sunday afternoon, over 95% of the votes had been counted, with Evans leading Caraveo by a margin of 49.0% to 48.2%. Additionally, two other candidates in the race had received a small percentage of votes.
Evans is a state representative in Colorado and a former police officer, while Caraveo is the first Latina congresswoman from Colorado.