Here’s who’s running against Caraveo in Colorado’s 8th congressional district

Updated 5:24 p.m. Feb. 28, 2024

Colorado’s newest congressional district, CO-08, was created to be a toss-up seat and it’s living up to that reputation. In 2022, Democrat Yadira Caraveo edged out Republican Barbara Kirkmeyer by just over 1,600 votes, winning with less than 50 percent of the vote due to a third party candidate.

With control of the House once again at stake, both parties are eyeing the eighth. Democrats hope to keep the seat in their column, while Republicans see an opportunity to flip it. 

As the incumbent, Caraveo heads into the race with some advantages, including support from the House Democratic campaign arm. But historically, an incumbent is considered the most vulnerable when going up for reelection the first time. 

A number of Republicans are lining up to take on Caraveo, in what is expected to be an expensive race.

Here’s a look at who’s running so far.

Democrats

Yadira Caraveo

The first-term congresswoman scored a key committee assignment for her district. She sits on the House Agriculture Committee and is the ranking member of the Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development subcommittee. She also sits on the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology.

Her voting record has been moderate, with Caraveo occasionally breaking from the rest of the Democratic Party on various issues, including voting to overturn a federal rule on the lesser prairie chicken to joining Republicans to stop any phase-out of the sale of gasoline-powered cars. 

A pediatrician, Caraveo served in the Colorado House before winning her seat in congress. 

Caraveo was able to avoid a costly primary when she first ran in 2022, and looks to be headed in that same direction currently, with no announced challengers from her party. By the end of December 2023, Caraveo had raised more than $1.8 million dollars and started 2024 with $1.3 million cash on hand.

Republicans

Joe Andujo

The health insurance consultant filed paperwork to run in the Republican primary in early November. But Andujo, an Air Force veteran, waited to make the official announcement on Veterans Day. He said he’s running because of the “poor state of our economy,” particularly inflation and the U.S. debt. “It’s time for responsible, fiscal restraint by Congress and I plan to work with like-minded legislators to bring down and eliminate most of that debt.”

Andujo has never held elective office before and currently lives outside the district (a representative is not required to live in their district), although he added he has business in the district and is looking to move.

On paper, Andujo has raised more than $220,000, but that includes a $216,000 loan the candidate made to his campaign. Still, he started 2024 with $214,000 cash on hand.

Gabe Evans

Evans was first elected to the Colorado House in November 2022 to represent District 48, which includes parts of Adams and Weld counties. He’s a former Arvada police officer and U.S. Army veteran, who served with the Colorado National Guard. Evans is also the grandson of immigrants from Mexico. In a statement announcing his run, Evans contrasted his “conservative record in the legislature” on law and order issues with Caraveo’s. 

“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,” he said in a statement.

During his first year at the statehouse, Evans served on the House Judiciary and Energy and Environment committees, as well as the legislature’s Audit Committee. A number of his bills focused on justice issues, including funding for local law enforcement to run DUI checkpoints and studying whether judicial personnel are being properly trained on how to work with crime victims.

By the end of the year, Evans had raised more than $250,000 dollars, including loaning his campaign $20,000. He started 2024 with just over $186,000 cash on hand.

Janak Joshi

The former three-term state Representative from the Colorado Springs area jumped into the primary in late January. He now lives in Thornton. He’s a retired doctor and describes himself as a “community activist.”

In his candidate announcement, Joshi said, “To win this primary and general election, we need a citizen-focused, conservative leader who fights for every-day Americans and not the corrupt insiders who are ruining our country.”

Like the other Republicans in the race, he highlighted unchecked immigration and government spending as top problems facing the problem.

Withdrawn Candidates:

Scott James

A Weld County commissioner, James was the first Republican to throw his hat in the ring to take on Caraveo, and the first to bow out.

In his announcement suspending his campaign James said, “I decided I could best be of service and have the highest degree of impact by staying at home in Johnstown, continuing to serve and lift my voice for the people I love in the county and state that I love.”

James had racked up a number of local endorsements, but that did not translate into campaign cash. He raised a total of $150,000 and started 2024 with $23,000 cash on hand.

Before his stint as a county commissioner, James served on the Johnstown City Council, including one term as mayor, and is also a former chair of the Weld County GOP. He also worked as a local radio host.