A strong bench of Republican candidates is lining up to take on freshman progressive U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo in the state’s new 8th Congressional District.
State Rep. Gabe Evans of Fort Lupton, an Army combat veteran, will compete against fellow Republican Weld County Commissioner Scott James in a GOP primary for the chance to take on Caraveo in next year’s General Election.
A former police officer, Evans pledged in his announcement to stand up for law enforcement and crack down on criminals, secure the border, get the economy back on track, and protect parental rights in the education of their children.
“Joe Biden and congressional Democrats have chosen a path of decline for America, and Yadira Caraveo has spent her first year in office enabling their failed policies,” Evans said in a statement.
Colorado Politics reports former Weld County Commissioner Steve Moreno is also expected to enter the GOP primary.
A grandson of Mexican immigrants, Evans said his devotion to public service was inspired by his grandfather, who earned his U.S. citizenship — “and a couple Purple Hearts” — while serving overseas in the Army during World War II.
“Through my mom and that side of the family, it was instilled in us — the American dream is something precious,” Evans said. “When I joined the Army, he told me, ‘I did that, I fought for you so that you guys wouldn’t have to.’ I appreciate that, but, like Ronald Reagan said, every generation has to fight for it. It’s now my generation’s turn to stand up and fight for our country, fight for the American dream.”
The Colorado Sun reports Washington Democrats have already chosen Caraveo as a priority seat to save next year and are expected to roll in a truckload of out-of-state money.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, visited the 8th District last month to hold a town hall with Caraveo. Jeffries told The Colorado Sun Caraveo will get the “resources necessary to communicate her accomplishments, her vision and her message” in 2024.
First, Caraveo will need some actual accomplishment to communicate, other than voting in lockstep with Joe Biden to blow trillions of taxpayer dollars onto the dumpster fire that is our economy, while taking a baseball bat to the nation’s kneecaps and crippling us with inflation.
She barely won her first election by 1,600 votes, and she’s done less than nothing to earn reelection.
Expect this to be one of the most competitive races in the state next year.