Incumbent Yadira Caraveo (D), Gabe Evans (R), and five other candidates are running in the general election in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District

Incumbent Yadira Caraveo (D), Gabe Evans (R), and five other candidates are running in the general election in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District on Nov. 5, 2024.

Colorado Public Radio describes the 8th as “Colorado’s most politically competitive congressional seat.” Both the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee are targeting the district. In the 2022 election, Caraveo defeated Barbara Kirkmeyer (R) 48.4%–47.7%. The 8th district was the fifth-narrowest U.S. House election nationwide in 2022 and the narrowest in which a Democrat won. Throughout 2024, The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter and Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rated the election a Toss-up and Decision Desk HQ and The Hill and Larry J. Sabato’s Crystal Ball rated it Lean Democratic.

Caraveo is a former state legislator and pediatrician. Caraveo says she has “voted with Republicans and Democrats to pass a bipartisan tax cut…passed a bipartisan bill into law to fight the fentanyl epidemic, broke with her party leadership to support tougher penalties for fentanyl offenses.” Caraveo says the race “is going to be tough, but it’s a must-win for our community…our victory is key for Democrats to win back the majority.”

Evans is a state legislator, U.S. Army veteran, and former police officer. Evans says he is running because the American Dream “is under attack from drugs, lawlessness, and violent crime, and it’s time to fight back. And it starts here, with firing a soft-on-crime Democrat, Yadira Caraveo.” Evans says he will “work with everybody. … That’s because I’m focused on solving problems.”

Also running are Chris Baum (Approval Voting Party), Eric Joss (L), Susan Hall (Unity Party of Colorado), Larry Johnson (No party preference) and Matthew Payette (No party preference).

All 435 U.S. House seats are up for election in 2024. Republicans have a 220 to 213 majority with two vacancies. As of June 2024, 45 members of the U.S. House had announced they were not running for re-election.

Daily Kos calculated what the results of the 2020 presidential election in this district would have been following redistricting. Joe Biden (D) beat Donald Trump (R) 50.8%-46.3%.