Colorado Rep.-elect Gabe Evans is one of only four Republicans nationwide so far to flip seats held by House Democrats
U.S. Representative-elect Gabe Evans is vowing to focus on what unites -- not divides -- Colorado's Congressional District 8.
Evans is the projected winner of a race Speaker Mike Johnson billed as one of the top five most important contests in the country this year. As of Monday evening, Evans led Democratic incumbent Yadira Caraveo by about 2,600 votes.
Before taking a victory lap Monday, Evans paused to honor those who make elections like his possible -- military veterans like his grandfather, who immigrated here from Mexico, he says, and earned two purple hearts in World War II.
"It is Veterans Day and I just want to make sure we thank all veterans," Evans said from his campaign headquarters in Thornton Monday.
A former Arvada police officer and state lawmaker, Evans followed in his grandfather's footsteps by joining the Army and becoming a Blackhawk helicopter pilot.
"That's how I was brought up. You love your country, you take care of your community, you do whatever is necessary to protect and preserve that American Dream."
His win is a dream come true for Republicans. It is the biggest win for the Colorado GOP since Republican Cory Gardner beat Democratic incumbent Mark Udall 10 years ago. Evans is one of only four Republicans nationwide so far to flip seats held by House Democrats. Caraveo conceded late Sunday evening when it became clear there weren't enough outstanding votes for her to win.
"I thanked her for her service -- her groundbreaking, historic service -- as Colorado's first Latina in congress."
Evans also thanked voters in CD8.
"I am so incredibly honored by the confidence and by the faith that the voters in Colorado's 8th Congressional District have instilled in me," he said.
He says his top priorities are crime, cost of living and border security, and he wasted no time getting to work. He says he met with community safety advocates and law enforcement Monday morning regarding the first bill he plans to introduce.
"The first bill that I'm planning to work on is a bill that is going to make sure our law enforcement -- our state and local law enforcement -- is empowered to work with their federal counterparts to get violent criminals, illegally present in our community, out of our community."
But unlike President-elect Donald Trump's new "border czar" Tom Homan, Evans does not support deporting otherwise law-abiding parents and separating them from children who were born here.
"I'm not a big fan of separating families. I don't think that's the right path to go down," he said.
Evans also said he would fight to keep Space Command's headquarters in Colorado amid concerns President-Elect Trump will try to re-locate it to Alabama as he did four years ago. Evans says he has not spoken to Trump since the election.
