Democrats pick up Colo. seat as balance of power in House remains uncertain

Nov. 10 (UPI) -- The Democrats have picked up Colorado's newest congressional seat, as vote counting continued early Thursday to decide which political party would hold a majority in the House.

Two days after the election, the balance of power of the House still hung in the balance with the GOP sitting at 209 seats to the Democrats' 191 early Thursday, with a majority of 218 seats needed to control the chamber.

Republicans had been hoping for a so-called red wave to wash through congressional districts as they campaigned on the highest inflation in decades. Though having lost seats, the Democrats have largely thwarted the GOP push.

On Wednesday night, Democrats picked up Colorado's newly created 8th Congressional District when the Republican nominee, Barbara Kirkmeyer, conceded defeat to Yadira Caraveo, a state legislator.

"Just a few minutes ago, I call[ed] Rep. Caraveo to congratulate her on her win in CD8," Kirkmeyer tweeted Wednesday night. "While this is not the outcome we hoped for, I am proud of our team and our campaign."

Unofficial state results show that Caraveo had earned 48.2% of the vote to Kirkmeyer's 47.8%. Fewer than 1,000 votes separated the two candidates.

Caraveo, a doctor and Colorado's first Latina in Congress, said in a statement that she looked forward to working for the families of her district.

"From my work as a pediatrician caring for our community, to fighting for working families in the state legislature, I have spent my life serving Colorado," she said. "It's an honor of my lifetime to receive this vote of confidence to serve working families from Greeley to Commerce City in Washington, D.C."

Meanwhile, eyes were on Colorado's District 3, where Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert was in a tight race with Democratic challenger Adam Frisch.

Boebert, a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump, is known as one of the more incendiary politicians in Congress. She has espoused conspiracy theories, including those of QAnon and the "big lie" that the 2020 general election was stolen from Trump.

Unofficial state results show the race is neck-and-neck, with Frisch leading by a few dozen ballots. Frisch had 50.01% of the vote to Boebert's 49.99%

"As expected, this thing is coming down to the wire," Frisch tweeted Wednesday. "We're feeling good & going to make sure every ballot counts."

"Hang tight," Boebert said Wednesday night on Facebook. "Keep the faith!"