1 week Ago By Ernest Luning [email protected]
Voters in Colorado's 8th Congressional District will have a chance to attend a town hall with a member of Congress later this month, but it won't be with U.S. Rep.
Gabe Evans, the first-term Republican who represents them. Instead, the Colorado Democratic Party and the Democratic National Committee are planning to hold what they're calling a "People's Town Hall," one of a series of public meetings the party is convening in GOP-held districts whose representatives haven't held in-person town halls this year. U.
S. Rep. Greg Casar, a Texas Democrat and the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, is set to appear at a town hall on April 24 in Evans' district at a location to be announced, the Colorado Democrats said Thursday.
It's one of five the DNC is organizing in vulnerable Republicans' districts over the two-week congressional recess that began on Friday. Evans, a former police officer and state lawmaker, won election to the closely divided seat in 2024 by defeating Democratic U.S.
Rep. Yadira Caraveo by fewer than 2,500 votes, marking the second time the district's congressional contest was decided by less than a 1% margin. Covering portions of Adams, Weld and Larimer counties, the district stretching north of the Denver metro area along Highway 85 to Greeley.
A spokeswoman for Evans' campaign told Colorado Politics that she was happy to welcome Casar to the district. “Greg Casar is a 'defund the police' activist who wants to see socialism and transgenderism take over America," Evans aide Delanie Bomar said in a text message. "He is the total opposite of Congressman Gabe Evans’ commonsense and winning plan of improving public safety, the immigration system and the economy.
Any day with Greg Casar in Colorado’s 8th District is a day that helps reelect Gabe Evans in 2026." Colorado Democratic Party Chair Shad Murib said the town hall will be a chance for Evans' constituents to get information and air grievances about the Republican-controlled Congress as the Trump administration nears its 100th day at the end of April. “Since Gabe Evans is only capable of answering hand-picked questions over the phone, we’re hosting a real town hall for Coloradans to learn about his votes to cut Medicaid for 73,000 people to pay for tax cuts for billionaires and Evans’ support for Trump’s chaotic economic policy driving up costs and draining bank accounts," Murib said in a statement.
"We hope Gabe Evans will consider joining us to hear from his constituents.” Republican members of Colorado's congressional delegation have taken heat from Democrats for only holding online or tele-town halls since taking office in January. The GOP lawmakers are apparently following a recommendation from North Carolina Republican Richard Hudson, the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, who told Republican House members last month to stick to remote town halls since the in-person versions have been turning confrontational.
Casar derided his Republican colleagues in response to Hudson's directive. “I think many House Republicans have to make a choice about whether they want to fulfill their job title as representative, where they can have a town hall and actually speak honestly to their constituents, or whether they want to change their job title to Elon Musk employee," he said last month, according to the Associated Press. In addition to Evans, the DNC is targeting Hudson and three other swing-seat Republicans, in Arizona, Pennsylvania and Missouri.
Other Democrats joining Casar on the circuit this month include U.S. Sens.
Cory Booker of New Jersey and Chris Murphy of Connecticut and U.S. Reps.
Greg Stanton of Arizona and Maxwell Frost of Florida. Noting that the DNC has sponsored 71 of the events across 35 states since launching the program this spring, DNC Chair Ken Martin said voters were "as fired up as I've ever seen." "In both red and blue communities, people are sick and tired of Donald Trump and Elon Musk destroying the economy, threatening health care and Social Security, and making life worse for families," Martin said in a statement.
"In April, we’re doubling down with leading Democratic voices joining even more town halls in key districts across the country. Republicans still want to pretend like their constituents don’t exist, but we believe Americans deserve to have their voices heard.”.
