By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice
In a latest report from the Colorado secretary of state’s office, Republican Gabe Evans has pulled ahead of Democrat Yadira Caraveo in the 8th District U.S. House race.
Evans now holds 49.03% of votes, with Caraveo trailing at 48.21%, which presently places the race outside the threshold of an automatic recount.
The 2,529-vote lead is a significant swing from where the race sat just a few days ago. The one-term U.S. Rep. Caraveo once led by a somewhat comfortable 1.59% margin. On Thursday, Evans narrowed the deficit to 2,096, which represented less than one-tenth of 1% of all votes to have been counted. A day earlier, Caraveo had a 3,817-vote lead, when an estimated 16.63% of the vote remained unreported.
The 8th District is typically viewed as blue Adams County versus red Weld County. There are ballots that remain unreported in both counties, according to the Associated Press. The deadline has not yet passed for receipt of military ballots.
The outcome of the race is meaningful, as Republicans look to have majorities in both the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate. Also, Colorado Democrats presently have a 5-3 delegation advantage in the U.S. House, but an Evans win would give the state split representation.