Republican U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans raised nearly $850,000 in the second quarter for his 2026 reelection bid in Colorado’s most competitive congressional seat, his campaign said Tuesday.

Evans is defending the closely divided 8th Congressional District, the state’s newest district, after unseating Democratic incumbent Yadira Caraveo by fewer than 2,500 votes in last year’s election.

The first-term lawmaker from Fort Lupton plans to report nearly $1.5 million cash on hand at the end of the most recent fundraising period, which closed on June 30. That’s more than twice as much money in the bank as Caraveo reported at the same point in her reelection campaign two years ago.

Five Democrats, including Caraveo, are facing off in a primary for the chance to challenge Evans. The other announced candidates are State Treasurer Dave Young; state Reps. Manny Rutinel, D-Commerce City, and Shannon Bird, D-Westminster; and former Colorado Education Association President Amie Baca-Oehlert.

Quarterly campaign finance reports for congressional candidates are due to the Federal Election Commission by midnight Tuesday.

Rutinel, the only Democrat in the race before the second quarter started, out-raised Evans in the first reporting period, with nearly $1.2 million in receipts to just over $810,000 raised by the Republican. Rutinel, however, burned through his funds at a fast rate, finishing the first quarter with just over $658,000 on hand, compared to Evans’ $755,000 and change.

For the latest quarter, Evans’ campaign plans to report raising $847,868, with $9,500 of that total raised through a joint fundraising committee with House Speaker Mike Johnson. Since the end of the first quarter, the Republican has nearly doubled his cash on hand, boosting his war chest to $1,487,253.

An Evans campaign spokeswoman told Colorado Politics that the Trump-endorsed Republican is concentrating on representing his district and winning reelection while his potential opponents duke it out.

“Congressman Gabe Evans is breaking fundraising records and getting real results for Colorado — from securing the border to cutting taxes for working families. While others are playing politics, Gabe Evans is lapping the competition and delivering wins that matter,” Evans aide Delanie Bomar said in a text message.

Covering parts of Adams, Weld and Larimer counties north of the Denver metro area, the 8th CD has lived up to its status as a toss-up seat, seeing some of the closest margins in the country since its creation ahead of the 2022 election.

Both major parties are again targeting the district, which could determine which party controls the House after next year’s midterms.