After NBC News declared a Colorado contest for the Republican opponent, the GOP gained another U.S. House seat on Sunday.
In the state’s 8th District, Gabe Evans defeated Rep. Yadira Caraveo (D-CO) with 49% of the vote as of Sunday, forcing Caraveo to concede. The two contenders were separated by a mere 2,500 votes. In a written statement to the Colorado Sun, pediatrician and former state representative Caraveo said, “Serving the people of Colorado’s 8th District has been an honor of a lifetime.” Even though this isn’t the result we were hoping for, there is still more work to be done. I’m excited to go back to Washington to complete this term.
In a state that voted for President Joe Biden by almost 14 points in 2020 and Vice President Kamala Harris by 11 points last week, Caraveo became the first member of Congress to gain office in the newly created district during the 2022 midterm elections. Given the challenging political landscape in the suburbs north of Denver, Evans’ victory—a former police officer and Army veteran—is all the more impressive. Evans thanked Caraveo for her service and told the source, “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.”
He continued, “I am deeply honored to be selected as Colorado’s 8th’s next Congressman.” “I’ve dedicated my life to pursuing challenges, and I’m now prepared to take on my next one: representing our communities in Washington, D.C. Colorado, thank you. Let’s get this done!
Given President-elect Donald Trump’s victory and Republicans’ impending control of the U.S. Senate, the victory gives House Republicans 214 of the 218 seats required to hold the gavel—a tantalizing prospect. All legislation that can pass muster with each caucus would be essentially unrestricted if the House had a majority, though this is not always the case. The Senate will be heavily influenced by moderate senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Susan Collins (R-ME), while centrist lawmakers may oppose Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) attempts to push through legislation on conservative issues like voter identification, deportations, or gender-affirming healthcare.
Evans’ victory comes days after Rep. Young Kim (R-CA) defeated a well-funded opponent to win reelection in a swing district. Relying on her moderate stance and leaning into her decision to vote to certify the 2020 election, the second-term member, who was born in South Korea, was able to defeat Trump in a district that Biden carried by a margin of 10 points. Since 1994, she is only the third Republican member to defeat a Democratic congresswoman from California.
Another, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), demonstrated how moderate lawmakers will probably have the most influence over what the House GOP decides to bring to the floor by holding onto her seat in a swing district after spending multiple terms voting primarily with Republicans and rarely with Democrats. She backed the January 6 commission, co-sponsored the America’s CHILDREN Act on immigration, and voted against the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the American Rescue Plan. Regarding LGBT issues, she supported the Respect for Marriage Act to safeguard same-sex marriage and the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which would have expanded rights for transgender people. To prohibit anti-competitive business activities, she also backed an antitrust law.