DENVER — Denver7 anchor Shannon Ogden sat down with Yadira Caraveo on Monday, three days after she announced that she was dropping her bid to reclaim the congressional seat she lost last year.
“Unfortunately, I faced very strong resistance to my candidacy this cycle due almost entirely to the stigmatization of mental health in America,” the Democrat and pediatrician said.
Caraveo was one of several Democrats running to unseat Republican U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans in the intensely competitive 8th Congressional District, a suburban seat north of Denver. She was public about her struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts during her two years in Congress.
Politics
Democrat Yadira Caraveo drops bid to retake 8th Congressional District seat
Ogden spoke with Caraveo about why she quit the race and exactly what she experienced during the campaign.
"I had individuals from the top echelons of the Democratic Party, to donors, to people here locally say that they didn't think that somebody with depression and a history of suicidality was capable of running for office and serving in Congress," Caraveo said. "The thought that somebody who suffered from depression once, who has gone to the depths of thinking of ending their own lives, can never be better. That's just not true."
In 2022, Caraveo became the first Latina to represent Colorado in Congress after winning the newly created 8th Congressional District north of Denver by just 1,600 votes. In 2024, she lost re-election to Republican Gabe Evans by fewer than 2,500 votes.
Until recently, Caraveo thought she could beat Evans in a rematch next year.
After serving in the state legislature and Congress, is that it for Caraveo in politics? She told Ogden that she has no plans to run again right now, but could not rule anything out.
"I've learned to never say never," she said. "I never thought that I'd be going into politics."
There is a crowded field of Democrats vying to take on Evans next year, including Colorado State Treasurer Dave Young, State Rep. Manny Rutinel, State Rep. Shannon Bird, and former teachers' union president Amie Baca Oehlert. The Cook Political Report lists the 8th Congressional District race as among the tightest in the country.
Concluding the interview, Ogden asked Caraveo about her mental health these days.
"I'm doing very well," Caraveo said. "Like I said, I've gotten the right treatment for the first time... I have the right medications. I have the right treatment team. I haven't felt this well since I was a teenager."
Our partners at The Denver Post contributed to this report.
