Yadira Caraveo will be Colorado's first Latina woman in Congress, state's first congresswoman of color
Republican Barbara Kirkmeyer conceded the race for Colorado's newest congressional district Wednesday night, effectively recognizing victory for pediatrician and state lawmaker, Democrat Dr. Yadira Caraveo.
Kirkmeyer tweeted out in the evening, "Just a few minutes ago I call Representative Caraveo to congratulate her on her win in CD8. While this is not the outcome we hoped for, I am proud of our team and our campaign. And "thank" all of the team, the countless volunteers, the folks who contributed and my family."
Kirkmeyer was faced with diminishing returns as nearly all the votes in more conservative Weld County were counted. Adams County was still counting Wednesday and planned to do more counting Thursday whittling down the number of outstanding votes going down from about 25,000 still uncounted in the evening by 4000-6000 per hour. But Adams County is 47 percent unaffiliated, 31 percent Democrat and 20 percent Republican. Votes coming in were pushing Caraveo further ahead of Kirkmeyer. The path to potential victory had been cut.
"Our community showed up and our voices were heard," said Caraveo in a prepared statement that followed Kirkmeyer's concession. The victory will make Dr. Caraveo Colorado's first Latina woman in Congress. It will mean she is the state first congresswoman of color. She also shared via email:
"From my work as a pediatrician caring for our community, to fighting for working families in the state legislature, I have spent my life serving Colorado. It's the honor of my lifetime to receive this vote of confidence to serve working families from Greeley to Commerce City in Washington, D.C. I look forward to doing the hard work to fight for working families across every part of the 8th Congressional District."
