Weld County Commissioner Scott James Declares Candidacy for Colorado’s 8th Congressional District

On Wednesday, July 12, 2023, Weld County Commissioner Scott James announced his intention to run for the 2024 Republican nomination in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District. As one of Democratic U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo’s challengers in the battleground district, James aims to bring pragmatic, problem-solving small-town values to Washington.

According to his campaign, James reported raising over $109,000 in the third quarter, with contributions coming from 138 individual donors, including prominent figures in the state Republican circles. The Weld County commissioner and former county GOP chairman ended the fundraising period with more than $78,000 in cash on hand.

The 8th Congressional District, which encompasses parts of Adams, Weld, and Larimer counties north of the Denver metro area, is considered a toss-up by national election forecasters due to its evenly divided nature. Both major parties are targeting the district as it could potentially determine which party holds the House majority in the upcoming election.

Joining James in the GOP primary in September is Republican state Rep. Gabe Evans of Fort Lupton.

As of Friday afternoon, neither Caraveo nor Evans had released their third-quarter fundraising numbers. Caraveo, a Thornton pediatrician and former state lawmaker, had raised just over $800,000 through June 30 and finished the second quarter with over $625,000 on hand, according to her most recent filing.

While the detailed report of James’ fundraising is not available, his campaign disclosed that he raised $109,504 in his first quarter in the race, spending $30,631 and leaving him with $78,873 in the bank. Notably, these figures do not include any loans or self-funding.

James’ list of contributors includes influential individuals such as Peter Coors, the former chairman of MillerCoors; Tim Travis, owner of Eaton Metal Products; Grier Bailey, executive director of Colorado Wyoming Petroleum Marketers Association; Troy and Chad McWhinney, co-founders of McWhinney Real Estate Services; Luke Lind, owner of Lind Land and Livestock; and former state Senator Rob Woodward, R-Loveland.

In a statement, James expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support he has received for his congressional race, highlighting the trust placed in him to champion pragmatic, problem-solving, small-town values in such a crucial moment for the country.