Colorado Newsline recently published a piece by Chase Woodruff that attempts to poke holes in the personal narrative of Congressman Gabe Evans, specifically the story he has shared about his grandfather immigrating legally to the United States from Mexico as a child. The article alleges a discrepancy: immigration records reviewed by Newsline suggest Evans’ grandfather, Cuauhtemoc Chavez, entered the U.S. in the 1910s without formal documentation, only receiving legal status in 1944 — decades later. Newsline implies that this undercuts Gabe’s credibility, casting his personal story into the political spotlight in a race that could determine control of Congress. Because of course — the stakes aren’t high enough already without dragging grandpa into it.
The Bullet Point Brief
- The “gotcha” headline: Newsline claims that documents “contradict” Evans’ origin story about his grandfather’s legal immigration.
- The family myth trap: Evans told the tale as he heard it growing up — a story of pride, perseverance, and legal immigration. Not a Congressional hearing. A story.
- Immigration nuance ignored: The early 20th-century border wasn’t exactly humming with ICE checkpoints and biometric scans. But nuance doesn’t go viral.
- Context conveniently omitted: Evans didn’t campaign on his grandfather’s paperwork — he campaigned on his own values, record, and experience. But that doesn’t trend.
- Soros-funded sniper fire: The article is another example of agenda-driven “journalism” aimed at Republicans in competitive districts, wrapped in nonprofit virtue and handed to the Suburban Normie on a clickbait platter.
My Bottom Line
I could write volumes about this person and this moment — and maybe someday I will. You see, right around this time in 2023, I announced my own candidacy for Colorado’s 8th Congressional District. I retired from radio, put my shoulder into the grindstone, and ran hard. I believed I had the experience and skills to serve in Congress. Hell, I still do. I flew to D.C. a couple of times, met with NRCC brass, and other conservative groups, heard the usual flattery: “Scott, you’re the kind of guy we need.” And then came the polite rejection. Why? Not qualifications. Not commitment. I got the message eventually — I was an old white guy in a district that’s 30% Hispanic. I fit the job, but not the narrative.
Then Gabe called.
He was a friend — still is. He called to tell me he was getting in. We agreed to keep it clean. And we did. What mattered most was that the Republicans won the seat. For months, we ran “against” each other. Ideologically, we’re cut from the same cloth. Christians, conservatives, community-driven, and committed. He didn’t have my years of experience or my name recognition. But he had something better in this political poker game: Veteran. Cop. Hispanic.
Let me be clear: I admire his service. Deeply. But as much as Gabe ran on who he was, he also — understandably — ran on what he was. And Republicans, for all our high-and-mighty posturing about despising identity politics, embraced the hell out of it. It wasn’t that Gabe was more qualified. He just had a story that slotted perfectly into what donors and strategists thought would “sell” in CO-08.
I eventually bowed out. Not because I couldn’t compete, but because I refused to fracture the effort. I believed Gabe could win. And I believed — still believe — he would serve well. And he has.
So here comes Colorado Newsline with the predictable, low-hanging-fruit hit job. “He lied!” they gasp. “He embellished!” Oh please. Show me a single person in this country whose family stories haven’t been romanticized, half-remembered, or glossed with decades of nostalgic myth. Families tell stories — that’s how history is passed down. My own grandfather was a third-grade dropout who helped support his family and went on to test ride Indian Motorcycles. Do I have notarized affidavits? No. I have stories. Like everyone else. Including Gabe.
But because he’s a Republican — the “wrong kind” of veteran, cop, and Hispanic — and because his race might decide control of the U.S. House, the Soros-funded outrage machine went rummaging through genealogy records like political necromancers trying to raise a scandal from the grave.
This is not journalism. This is narrative warfare. It’s the weaponization of family lore to undermine someone whose actual, living, verifiable resume — as a soldier, a cop, a state legislator, and now a congressman — is too solid to attack head-on.
And here’s the tragedy: Gabe doesn’t need the identity politics card. He’s smart, principled, capable — more than enough on merit alone. But the Great Suburban Normie doesn’t care about policy depth. They want a vibe. A viral moment. And campaigns have to adapt or die. So the story becomes part of the pitch.
But here’s the kicker — the same story they helped elevate, they now use to try and destroy.
The game sucks. It ain’t fair. But this is what happens when we let identity outrun integrity and narrative matter more than character.
So what’s the fix?
It starts with us. With you. The Great Suburban Normie has to stop scrolling, stop clicking outrage-bait, and start engaging in the hard, often boring, always critical work of self-governance. Stop judging candidates on hashtags and heritage. Start looking at their votes, their values, their vision. If we want real representation, we have to act like real citizens.
Congressman Evans, you didn’t need the narrative. Your record speaks for itself. Your values carry weight. And the people of Colorado’s 8th are lucky to have you — not because of your background, but because of your backbone.
