Simply over 100 days since she left Congress, Yadira Caraveo needs to go again to Washington, D.C.
On Tuesday, the Thornton Democrat plans to announce her candidacy for the eighth Congressional District race in 2026. She’s looking for a return to the put up she held for the primary two years of the district’s existence, from 2023 till her loss by a whisker to Republican U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans in November.
Caraveo spoke to The Denver Submit forward of her announcement, the fruits of a choice she has been mulling for a number of weeks.
“I feel that the district is all the time going to be extremely aggressive, proper?” Caraveo stated. “So I do know that is going to be a troublesome race. However I feel that that very slim margin of loss is a testomony to the truth that individuals noticed that I used to be taking a average and middle-of-the-road path, actually conserving in thoughts what the district wished me to do.”
The 44-year-old pediatrician and daughter of Mexican immigrants acknowledged that her loss final 12 months got here in what “was not an excellent 12 months for Democrats.” She’s staking hope on the probability that the political dynamic will probably be considerably totally different subsequent 12 months throughout midterm elections that traditionally have favored the occasion out of energy.
Her most important focus is on potential cuts to Medicaid that might come as a part of a finances that President Donald Trump has made clear he needs to see slimmed down. At her former Thornton medical apply, 65% of her sufferers relied on this system.
“I do know that these tough conversations are going down and that Gabe Evans doesn’t appear to have an curiosity in how deeply that is going to have an effect on households,” Caraveo stated.
However Caraveo gained’t simply have Evans to fret about subsequent 12 months.
She is going to first must defeat a minimum of one fellow Democrat, state Rep. Manny Rutinel, of Commerce Metropolis, within the major election in June 2026. Rutinel, who launched his marketing campaign in January, introduced final week that he had raised greater than $1 million for the reason that starting of the 12 months.
The district has the heaviest focus of Latinos amongst Colorado’s eight congressional districts. On immigration — the place Caraveo’s place developed from being closely crucial of federal immigration businesses when she was a state lawmaker to, final summer time, lambasting the Biden administration for mismanaging the border — she says the Trump administration’s method to the problem is unsuitable.
“They don’t seem to be specializing in complete reform,” she stated. “They’re worry mongering and mass deportations, together with of people who find themselves right here legally.”
Throughout her 100 days out of workplace, Caraveo traveled to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. She additionally grappled with how psychological well being challenges would possibly play amongst voters in a brand new bid for Congress.
These challenges led to a number of darkish episodes final 12 months wherein Caraveo virtually took her life with a near-overdose of sleeping drugs and ache treatment. She spoke publicly about her struggles final summer time in an try to destigmatize the problem of psychological well being, however she has supplied extra particulars in current interviews.
After a stint at Walter Reed Military Medical Middle early final 12 months to get therapy, Caraveo stated she is feeling significantly better and on observe to dedicate herself to public service once more.
“Now that I’m getting that correct therapy and that I’m on the precise drugs — that I’ve actually taken care of points that I had been ignoring for a very long time as a result of I used to be placing different individuals forward of myself — I’m in a fair higher place to signify this district,” she stated.
She additionally stated: “So long as you search assist, you will get higher — you possibly can nonetheless do exhausting issues. It shouldn’t be held in opposition to you that you’ve got these struggles.”
The eighth District, which stretches from Denver’s northern suburbs to Berthoud and Greeley within the north, was drawn by the state’s redistricting fee after the 2020 census to be essentially the most politically aggressive in Colorado. In 2022, Caraveo barely edged out Republican state Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer by fewer than 2,000 votes out of greater than 236,000 forged.
Quick-forward two years, and Evans took the competition in opposition to Caraveo by fewer than 2,500 votes out of greater than 333,000 forged.
The Prepare dinner Political Report as soon as once more positions the eighth District race as a toss-up in 2026 — one among solely 18 races nationwide with such a rating — whereas the Middle for Politics on the College of Virginia consists of the race amongst 19 with toss-up standing in its rankings.
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