Libertarian candidate drops out of race for Colorado's 8th Congressional District

The Libertarian candidate for Colorado's hotly contested 8th Congressional District plans to drop out of the race and endorse Republican Gabe Evans, giving Republicans a major boost in their efforts to unseat Democratic U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo.

Caraveo defeated her 2022 Republican opponent, Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, by about 1,600 votes in the district that stretches from Denver's northeastern suburbs along U.S. 85 to Greeley. The Libertarian candidate running this year, Richard “Dan” Ward, a tattooed electrician who likes heavy metal music, received 9,280 votes.

Republicans called Ward a spoilsport in the race and were determined to prevent a similar outcome in 2024.

Libertarian candidate Eric Joss had run to represent the district this year, but at a news conference Tuesday night he said he had decided to drop out of the race and endorse the lawmaker after weeks of discussions with Evans, a state representative.

“We have agreed on a set of principles,” Joss said. “And in return, I will drop out of the race.”

Joss said he believes it is “important for Colorado and the nation to elect the most libertarian candidates possible.”

“In this case, I can say with great enthusiasm that in my opinion it is Mr. Gabe Evans,” Joss said.

As part of the agreement, Evans signed a statement that includes many common Republican campaign platforms, including:

• Supporting a peaceful solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and ensuring accountable and transparent assistance to Ukraine
• Reducing the size of government
• Vote to protect and preserve the right to bear arms
• Supporting states in developing and enforcing their own marijuana laws

The pledge Evans signed Tuesday is unrelated to a similar document the Colorado Libertarian Party and Colorado GOP drafted last year to prevent Libertarians from voting in other races.

That promise also included stopping funding Ukraine, abolishing the U.S. intelligence community, and not fighting presidential pardons for Julian Assange, Edward Snowden, and Ross Ulbricht. Assange pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obtain and publish national defense information. Snowden is accused of violating the Espionage Act by leaking classified information to the news media. Ulbricht, the founder of the darknet site Silk Road, is serving a life sentence for promoting the sale of illegal products.

Evans said Tuesday that he was unable to sign the original commitment letter, but that after discussions with Joss, “we were able to make some changes.”

“I think that's indicative of what representative government is supposed to be,” Evans said. “That's what people in Congress are supposed to do – sit down and have these conversations with all of their constituents.”

Joss had originally announced that he would only drop out of the race if Evans' Republican opponent in the primary, former state Rep. Janak Joshi, won the primary. Joshi, who was endorsed by the Colorado Republican Party, signed the original Libertarian pledge but then lost to Evans by 55 percentage points on June 25.

Democrats criticized Evans' decision to sign the new pledge as politically expedient.

The Colorado Secretary of State's office said it had not received a formal request from Joss as of Wednesday morning to remove his name from the November ballot, a step necessary before he can officially drop out of the race.

Friday is the deadline for candidates in the November election to withdraw their campaigns and withdraw their names.

Millions of dollars are flowing into the district to buy television advertising time through November. The race for the 8th District is considered a key element in the national battle between Democrats and Republicans for control of Congress.

Joss was not the only third-party candidate running in the 8th Congressional District this year. Also on the ballot are Chris Baum of the Approval Voting Party and Susan Patricia Hall of the Unity Party. Independent candidate James Treibert is a write-in option in the district.

Election day is November 5th.