DENVER — If the concerns of Democratic lawmakers are true – that President Biden remaining in the race will bring down other Democrats on the ballot in November – then, Democratic Congresswoman Yadira Caraveo might be most at risk in Colorado.
Caraveo represents the 8th Congressional District which covers Weld and Adams Counties and a sliver of Larimer County.
She won that district in 2022 by 1,632 votes.
Caraveo was on a call with other congressional Democrats and the president on Saturday.
9NEWS reporter Marshall Zelinger asked Congresswoman Yadira Caraveo about that call in an interview on Monday.
Editor's note: This interview has been edited for context and clarity.
Zelinger: What was your message to the president? Did you tell him, first of all, did you tell him he should not run for reelection?
Caraveo: I think the president made it clear in that call and in various other interviews and various other venues that he is not stepping down, and so I think that the question of whether he should be president is up to Colorado’s voters.
Zelinger: Well, you’re a Colorado voter. Do you think the president should run for reelection?
Caraveo: The president is running for reelection. He is our nominee, and so, we will see what every other Colorado voter has to say about that in November.
Zelinger: You’re stating a bunch of facts, but do you think he should be the top of the ticket, and I’m going to get to why that’s important for you, particularly, in a moment, but do you think he should be the top of the ticket?
Caraveo: It really doesn’t matter what I think, Marshall. He is the top of the ticket. I don’t think what I say is going to change his mind.
Congressman Jason Crow, who represents Colorado’s 6th Congressional District, told 9NEWS on Sunday that he spoke to the president on that call about perception concerns.
"People have very real concerns about the campaign, about how the lack of messaging is not breaking through, the polling and all the indicators that we see, the trajectory, and I raised those concerns,” Crow said.
He told 9NEWS that he did not tell the president to drop out of the race. Crow also would not answer if Biden should drop out.
Last week, Sen. Michael Bennet, R-C.O., said in an interview on CNN that Biden staying in the race could mean former President Trump wins in a landslide and takes the Senate and House with him. He did not say that the president should drop out.
Caraveo’s 2022 race was decided by 1,632 votes.
Zelinger: If what they said comes true, you’re probably out of a job. So, should President Biden stop running for reelection?
Caraveo: I think that the question of whether I keep my job or not is going to be something that I frame to Colorado voters about me, not Biden.
The 8th Congressional District has 50 percent unaffiliated voters, 25 percent Democratic voters and 23 percent Republicans.
Caraveo: The president is running his race. I am running my race. I hope the voters see the difference between those two.
Zelinger: Do you believe that you’re vulnerable with the president still running?
Caraveo: The president has been underwater in my district for, I think, the entire time that I have been in Congress. Mr. Biden has his race to run and, I think, I have a record that is distinct from his that I hope Colorado’s voters in the 8th District will take into account, no matter who they vote for president.
On the topic of the assassination attempt on Trump, Caraveo said she spent her Sunday meeting with constituents.
Caraveo: I wanted to take a break from the political rhetoric that we engage in constantly, that we’ve been engaged in as a Democratic Party for two weeks now and be with people in the community.
She said she challenged her constituents to talk with someone they disagree with.
Caraveo: And for most of them, the response was, "I don’t know anybody that I disagree with. I don’t have Republican friends."
Caraveo said she has more Republican friends since running for office than she ever would have before.
Zelinger: Do Democrats need to change the way they talk about Trump being a threat to Democracy?
Caraveo: I think everybody needs to take a breather and needs to realize that we need to tone down the way that we talk about each other, period.