The battle for Colorado’s newly created 8th Congressional District will be watched as closely in Washington, D.C., as in the Centennial State. Not only is the November face-off in the 8th deemed a toss-up between the two parties, but it also will be among the most hotly contested congressional races nationwide – determining which party controls the U.S. House.

The Democrats’ majority in the lower chamber is very much in jeopardy. Pundits across the spectrum are expecting this year’s midterm election – always a challenge for the party of the incumbent president – to be particularly tough for President Biden’s party. So, a lot is at stake in the 8th. The fight for it is likely to be heavily-funded and intense.

Colorado Republicans’ best bet for winning the state’s newest congressional seat – and for improving their odds of retaking the U.S. House – is state Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer. We urge a vote for her on the June 28 GOP primary ballot.

Democrats already have lined up their ducks in their bid to capture the seat. They’ve shrewdly cleared the field for one candidate, state House Rep. Yadira Caraveo of Thornton, who now won’t have to face a primary contest.

Meanwhile, four Republicans are running in the primary. While some of them show promise for future political bids, Kirkmeyer has the political stature, extensive experience and all-around gravitas needed to win the 8th in the general election next fall.

By and large like her GOP rivals, she checks the right boxes on issues near and dear to the party faithful. From law and order, to the right to arms, to the right to life, to hard-nosed fiscal conservatism, Kirkmeyer is right where you would expect a Colorado conservative to be.

Where Kirkmeyer, distinguishes herself is her seasoning in actually putting those principles to work. Currently a member of the state Senate, Kirkmeyer served previously as a Weld County Commissioner for two decades. She served, as well, in the cabinet of Republican former Gov. Bill Owens. In other words, she knows her way around government and public policy.

But she also is rooted firmly in private enterprise. A fourth-generation Coloradan from Brighton and CU grad who co-owned and operated a dairy farm, she understands the challenges facing small business as a longtime small-business owner herself.

The 8th is the state’s most competitive congressional district, created after the 2020 Census reflected Colorado’s continued, rapid growth. The district’s boundaries were drawn just last year through a redistricting process that is itself new, having been approved by state voters in 2018. It represents new political terrain – stretching north from metro Denver along I- 25 and encompassing parts of Adams, Larimer and Weld counties. Its population centers include Greeley in the heart of Weld County as well as north-suburban Northglenn and Thornton.

The district is diverse, to say the least – and will be a battleground. Republicans will need someone with the political savvy and hefty resume of Kirkmeyer to carry the day in November. Should they win, they’ll also need someone who is as deeply rooted in Main Street Colorado as Kirkmeyer to represent them in Washington.

Denver Gazette editorial board