DENVER — Democratic state Rep. Yadira Caraveo declared victory on Thursday over Republican state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer in Colorado's new 8th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
A week after Election Day, The Associated Press called the race for Caraveo in CD-8, which was created after the 2020 U.S. Census and includes parts of Adams, Larimer and Weld counties. The race was being watched nationally as the GOP sought to flip control of Congress.
Caraveo held a news conference Thursday morning in which she thanked the voters of the district.
"This is such a meaningful honor that has been bestowed on me by every single voter in this district who poured their love of Colorado, their love of this district, and their hopes into those ink-filled bubbles on every single ballot sheet," she said.
Kirkmeyer conceded the race on Wednesday evening.
"Just a few minutes ago I call Representative Caraveo to congratulate her on her win in CD8," Kirkmeyer said on Twitter. "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."
The latest results are below:
Results are called by The Associated Press. Click here for more on how AP calls races.
Caraveo is a pediatrician in Adams County and has been state representative for District 31 since 2019. She ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. She was the primary sponsor of a 2019 bill that changed how oil and gas would be regulated in Colorado and focused on public safety, health and welfare.
Kirkmeyer represents Colorado's District 23 and serves on the Senate's Education, Health and Human Services and Local Government committees.
She previously served as a Weld County commissioner. During her time on the board, she was involved in the county declaring it was a "Second Amendment sanctuary" that would not honor new state gun laws. She beat out three other Republican nominees in the primary.
Below, watch Caraveo's news conference:
>Find all of our election coverage at 9news.com/elections.
In a 9NEWS debate last month, Caraveo and Kirkmeyer talked about their positions on several key issues in the 2022 Colorado elections, including abortion access, small businesses, TABOR, cost of living and more.
You can watch the full debate below:
Below is a map of election results for all U.S. House races across the country and that chamber's balance of power:
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