Shifts in demographics have made Colorado a battleground state. And one Colorado district, CO-08, is a prime district for flipping. Republican Gabe Evans is serving his first term but won his race against Democratic incumbent Yadira Caraveo by a mere 2,449 votes, or 0.8 points. The slim margin of Evans’ win makes this a race to watch.

Colorado has had a Democratic governor for 24 of the past 32 years; since 2008, the state has voted Democratic in five consecutive presidential elections. The trend toward Democrats has been due to the rising percentage of young, college-educated, suburban, and unaffiliated voters.

• More than a half dozen Democrats are vying for the seat prior to the June 2 primary. Only one, Manny Rutinel, has raised nearly as much as the Republican incumbent. Rutinel, in his 30s, is a former environmental attorney who now serves in the Colorado House of Representatives.
• Trump-endorsed candidate Rep. Evans supports Trump’s platform, including ones on immigration. Evan’s rhetoric about immigrants could be surprising. Consistently he has claimed his grandfather came from Mexico “legally,” but an Immigration and Naturalization Service document proves otherwise.
• The deaths of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti at the hands of ICE agents have shaken support across the district, despite the fact that many had supported ICE activities.
•  A poll conducted by the Colorado Polling Institute found that Evans’ unfavorability rate was second only to Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert.
• Evans supported the Big Ugly Bill, which included cuts that are projected to cause the loss of about 17,500 jobs in Colorado in 2029 (resulting in a state tax revenue loss of $150 million), as well as hastening the closing of three rural hospitals.

COMPETITIVE CO RACES