Libertarian drops out of tight congressional race, endorses Republican

DENVER (KDVR) — Two candidates with experience in Colorado’s statehouse are vying for a spot in the U.S. House. A third-party candidate is looking to make the race a bit more interesting by getting behind one of the candidates.

One of the closest races in the state will take place in Colorado’s newest 8th Congressional District. Republican Gabe Evans is running for the seat, which U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo won by only 1,625 votes in 2022. It’s expected to be close this time too.

With both major parties eyeing control of Congress, this race could be very influential.
To make it even more interesting, Libertarian candidate Eric Joss dropped out and endorsed Evans over Caraveo. Evans also signed an updated “liberty pledge” committing to support several of the Libertarian’s core policies.

“Being able to sit down and have a conversation with the Libertarian Party, with the Libertarian candidate, and find common ground is really just a continuation of what I’ve been trying to do as I try to work with everybody,” Evans said.

CD-8 among competitive US races this year

Political analysts on both sides of the aisle say this will be a race to keep an eye on.

“It’ll be a close race,” said FOX31 Political Analyst Michael Fields, a Republican strategist. “A lot of things will be dictated by what happens at the top of the ticket between Trump and Harris, but ultimately, you are going to see tens and millions of dollars into this race. This is the race in Colorado for people to watch.”

“CD-8 in Colorado and, I know this nationally, that is one of the most competitive races in the country, if not the most competitive race in the country, and both parties will be putting a lot of money into Colorado,” said FOX31 Political Analyst Andy Boian, a Democratic consultant. “They have already and they’ll be putting more in.”

Democrats say the endorsement will not amount to very much, while Republicans note the Libertarian garnered significant votes in the 2022 race for the district.

“It’s a really is a 50-50 district and was originally carved out to have a healthy independent streak as well,” Boian said. “It does, but that has sort of diminished in the last couple of years, but it’s really an even district, and I think that she has a fair shot. But this Libertarian candidate who wanted to make an impact, and I don’t think really has, won’t make a difference.”

“I do think it is a really big deal that the Libertarian has dropped out of this race,” Fields said. “If you look back two years ago, the Libertarian got 9,000 votes. The race was decided by only 1,600 votes. Now it’s not a one-for-one, but typically, the Libertarian voters would rather go with the Republican than Democrat. So I think if there was no Libertarian in the last election, Barb Kirkmeyer would be in Congress right now.”

Caraveo responds to Libertarian’s endorsement

Caraveo was back on Capitol Hill on Monday, but her team told FOX31 in a statement:

“For months Gabe Evans has claimed to be against the provisions in the Libertarian Party’s pledge. Now, at a time where it’s politically convenient, he’s made a backroom deal in an attempt to resuscitate his campaign and switched his position. Voters can’t trust Gabe Evans.

Unlike her opponent, Congresswoman Yadira Caraveo is focused on delivering bipartisan results – passing a law that confronts the next wave of the drug crisis, working to lower healthcare costs, tackling crime, and supporting our farmers and ranchers.

Rep. Caraveo’s record speaks for itself. Come November, voters will decide between a Congresswoman who has delivered real results and a political opportunist siding with the extremes.”

Mary Alice Blackstock, Caraveo for Congress campaign manager

Both remaining candidates say they plan on finishing the race strong, with a big push heading into November.

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