“As one of the most bipartisan members of Congress, Yadira Caraveo has worked tirelessly to deliver for Colorado families by lowering health care costs, strengthening rural towns and family farms, and making communities safer by cracking down on fentanyl. A pediatrician and former state legislator raised in Adams County, Yadira has spent her life working for her communities and helping Colorado families. Gabe Evans’ extremism – from supporting an abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest, to putting extreme MAGA Republicans’ agenda ahead of middle class families – couldn’t be more out-of-touch and dangerous for Colorado,” said DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene.
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To: Interested Parties
From: Mallory Payne, DCCC Regional Press Secretary
Date: June 25, 2024
Subject: The Case Against Gabe Evans
After ten months of rushing to the far-right in a messy GOP primary, Gabe Evans is heading into the general election more damaged and out-of-touch than ever. In November, voters in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District will have a clear choice between Evans, an anti-abortion MAGA extremist, and Congresswoman Yadira Caraveo, one of the most bipartisan members of Congress.
Raised in Adams County, Yadira has spent her life serving her community. After working her way through college and attending medical school to become a pediatrician, Yadira saw firsthand the devastating impacts of skyrocketing health care costs. This inspired her to run for the Colorado state legislature, where she fought to expand access to affordable health care, passed the first state cap on the price of insulin, created a public health care option, and expanded free full-day Kindergarten.
Yadira has continued to fight for middle class families in Congress, leading the charge to increase transparency in hospital prices and lower prescription drug costs. She’s also working across the aisle to support family farmers, invest in rural communities, and crack down on fentanyl.
While Yadira puts middle class families first, Gabe Evans is far too extreme for Colorado. He supports banning abortion with no exceptions for rape or incest, has fully embraced Donald Trump and MAGA extremists, and has made it harder for middle class families to get ahead time and time again.
Yadira’s bipartisan record next to Evans’ extremism will all but ensure the Congresswoman’s re-election this November.
Evans Is An Anti-Abortion, Anti-LGBTQ Extremist
Gabe Evans will be a rubber stamp for his party’s dangerous anti-abortion agenda. Evans believes politicians should make personal health care decisions for Colorado women; he supports banning abortion with no exceptions for rape or incest and supported overturning Roe v. Wade, calling it a “success” for the anti-abortion movement.
Evans has repeatedly voted to restrict reproductive freedom in the Colorado state legislature. He voted against Title X funding that helps expand access for reproductive health care services for low income families. Amid threats from nearby states to prosecute women who cross state lines to seek abortion care, Evans voted against protecting in-state providers and out-of-state patients who travel to Colorado for care. He also voted against protecting Colorado women from crisis pregnancy centers, misleading centers that front as medical clinics but in reality are led by anti-choice groups that attempt to manipulate pregnant women seeking care.
It’s clear he’d join his party in Congress to attack reproductive freedom and ban abortion nationwide. He’s promised to back House Republicans’ radical bill that would rip away private health insurance from women and restrict abortion access across the country, including for veterans.
Evans is also dangerous for Colorado’s LGBTQ community. He strongly opposes same-sex marriage and even compared it to “incest, pederasty, and bestiality.” In a voter guide this cycle, he said he “strongly agrees” that marriage should be between “one man and one woman.”
As both a doctor and member of Congress, Yadira has protected Coloradans’ rights and access to health care. Unlike Evans, she understands the importance of leaving personal health care decisions between a woman and her doctor.
Evans Is A MAGA Extremist
Evans wasted no time proving he’ll be beholden to Donald Trump and his MAGA party bosses. He made sure there was no question about his support for Donald Trump, whose plans for a second term include restricting abortion and birth control nationwide, gutting quality, affordable health care for thousands of Coloradans, and promising to be a dictator on “day one.”
Nothing will break Evans’ loyalty to Trump – not even 34 felony convictions. When Evans refused to stand up for the rule of law and instead continued to stand by the former president after he was convicted, Trump rewarded him with an endorsement just days later.
Evans’ loyalty to Trump is nothing new; he cast doubt on the 2020 election results, peddling conspiracy theories that led to a violent Capitol insurrection and the death of multiple law enforcement officers. Evans has also cozied up to fellow election deniers, touting endorsements from Elise Stefanik and Mike Johnson, who was named “the most important architect of the Electoral College objections” by the New York Times. Evans even supports a far-right group that wants to rewrite the U.S. Constitution.
While Evans cozies up to extremists and embraces conspiracy theories, Congresswoman Caraveo has a proven record as one of the most bipartisan members of Congress.
Evans Is Working Against Colorado’s Middle Class Families
Evans has spent his political career making it harder for middle class families to get ahead, consistently voting against legislation to put money back in Coloradans’ pockets and lower the cost of health care and housing.
While Congresswoman Caraveo has led the charge to expand access to affordable health care, Evans has repeatedly opposed efforts to lower health care costs for families. In the state legislature, he voted against lowering insurance premiums and prescription drug costs, capping the price of life saving medication, and decreasing hospital fees.
In fact, Evans doesn’t just want to keep health care costs high; he opposes the Affordable Care Act and wants to rip quality, affordable care and protections for those with pre-existing conditions away from hundreds of thousands of Coloradans.
It’s not just health care costs Evans wants to keep out of reach. He voted against expanding Colorado’s child tax credit, which will put $170 million back into the pockets of thousands of Colorado families. And as the cost of housing skyrockets across the district, Evans voted against multiplebills that would have lowered costs for renters and saved them money on fees. Finally, Evans supports renewing Trump’s tax scam, which would raise taxes on middle class families while giving handouts to price-gouging corporations.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
Axios Denver: Colorado Rep. Yadira Caraveo attempts to carve out bipartisan path [Axios Denver, 7/10/2023]
Denver Post: Congress passes Rep. Yadira Caraveo’s bill to tackle abuse of an animal tranquilizer often mixed with fentanyl [Denver Post, 12/4/2023]
Denver Post: Colorado congresswoman unveils bills to help cities like Denver manage migrant crisis, beef up border security [Denver Post, 2/29/2024]
Northglenn Thornton Sentinel: Thornton police, Caraveo highlight concern about local retail crimes [Northglenn Thornton Sentinel, 10/31/2023]
KDVR: Guided by Latina roots and medical background, Yadira Caraveo paves new path [KDVR, 10/13/2023]
Colorado Politics: Donald Trump endorses Republican Gabe Evans in Colorado’s battleground 8th Congressional District [Colorado Politics, 6/4/2024]
Colorado Times Recorder: CO Congressional Candidate Evans Refused To Say the 2020 Prez Election Was Legitimate. Then Trump Endorsed Him. Was There a Connection? [Colorado Times Recorder, 6/13/2024]
Colorado Times Recorder: Evans, Joshi Will Vote for Trump and Support His Tax Plan, and Both Question the 2020 Election Results [Colorado Times Recorder, 6/3/2024]
“State Rep. Gabe Evans…refused to say, categorically, that the 2020 election was not stolen from Trump. They’ll both vote for Trump, even in the wake of his conviction, and support renewing the Trump tax cuts that skew heavily toward rich people and large corporations.”
PATH TO VICTORY
In 2022, Yadira won this newly drawn seat despite the headwinds of a tough turnout environment for Democrats. This November, she’ll have increased name ID and a bipartisan record to run on, while an abortion ballot measure will drive Democratic voter turnout. In this district, higher presidential year turnout is a significant boon to Democrats.
Yadira will also have the resources to get her message out across the district. While Yadira has raised a significant war chest of more than $3.3 million this cycle, Gabe Evans has brought in underwhelming haul after underwhelming haul. Heading into the general election, Yadira’s campaign has 10x morecash on hand than Evans, leaving him stuck trying to rebuild his already lousy fundraising. Evans simply doesn’t have the resources necessary to compete in the expensive Denver media market.
Their records make the case for re-electing Yadira Caraveo even more clear. Evans has spent his time in public office serving corporate special interests and his MAGA party bosses, while Yadira has remained focused on the issues that matter most to families and worked with both parties to deliver bipartisan results for Colorado.
