Colorado 8th: Democrat Manny Rutinel Claims Victory in Close Congressional Race
The 31-year-old former state lawmaker leads incumbent Gabe Evans by a wide margin in a district where previous winners had margins under 3,000 votes.
By Emmanuel Faure ·
56 percent. That is the share of the vote Democrat Manny Rutinel held over Republican incumbent Gabe Evans in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District as of 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The results, posted on the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office website, indicate a decisive shift in a district that has historically produced narrow outcomes.
The margin places Rutinel well ahead of Evans, who held 40 percent of the vote. Libertarian candidate Dave Wood captured nearly 4 percent of the tally. Although the Associated Press had not formally called the race at that time, Rutinel declared victory to a crowd of approximately 200 people at the Salon Madrid Event Center in Commerce City.
Rutinel, 31, walked onto the stage with his mother and life partner. A man in the audience held up a pair of boxing gloves in celebration. Rutinel thanked the electorate, stating that the election was decided at kitchen tables. He traced his path to Congress back two decades to when he helped his single mother, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, complete forms for food assistance and Medicaid.
Evans, 40, had not conceded as of 8:30 p.m. His supporters gathered at a venue in Brighton, waiting for additional results to arrive. The 8th District covers parts of Larimer, Weld, and Adams counties north of Denver. It was drawn to be competitive, and its first four years of existence saw each winner secure the seat by fewer than 3,000 votes. Tuesday’s results suggest that streak has ended.
National political analysts had been predicting a win for Rutinel in recent weeks. They noted that Republican candidates face challenges under President Donald Trump, whose approval ratings have declined. The Cook Political Report observed that the district moved six points right between 2020 and 2024, shifting from a Biden +4 seat to a Trump +2 seat, but that Trump is now deeply underwater in the region.
During the campaign, Rutinel frequently linked Evans to President Trump. In a debate last month, he mentioned Evans and the president in the same sentence nearly two dozen times. Evans characterized Rutinel as a radical job-killing candidate, framing the choice as one between crazy and common sense. Rutinel has sought to distance himself from past statements, including his earlier description of ranching and meat production as a horrific, exploitative industry.
Agriculture, ranching, and oil and gas are central to the local economy. Former Colorado Republican Party Chair Dick Wadhams said Trump destroyed Republicans across the nation and that Evans is one of the victims. Wadhams added that while Rutinel despises farmers, ranchers, and oil workers, the presidential factor makes that a secondary concern.
The race attracted substantial financial support. Campaigns for both candidates spent more than $14 million through mid-October. Outside groups injected at least $19 million more since the primary, with that figure continuing to rise. Rutinel surpassed Evans in total fundraising last month, collecting nearly $9.5 million compared to Evans’ $7.2 million as of mid-October.
