Manny Rutinel Wins Colorado 8th, Flipping Seat from GOP
The 31-year-old Democrat defeats Rep. Gabe Evans in a district where 38.5% of voters are Hispanic or Latino.
By Andrew Kovalenko ·
Colorado voters in the 8th Congressional District sent a new representative to Washington on Tuesday. Democrat Manny Rutinel defeated Republican incumbent Gabe Evans, reversing the party control of the seat that stretches across Adams, Weld, and parts of Larimer counties.
The Associated Press projected Rutinel’s victory as of 9:51 p.m. The 31-year-old candidate from Commerce City leads with 56% of the vote against Evans’ 41%, with 75% of the expected ballot count in. Rutinel, a former state representative, will represent a district that includes fast-growing suburbs north of Denver, agricultural areas in Weld County, and blue-collar communities along the U.S. 85 corridor.
The 8th District was created following the 2020 Census due to population growth. It has become a key battleground because of its diverse makeup. According to the Colorado Independent Redistricting Commissions, Hispanic or Latino voters constitute 38.5% of the electorate. Major cities within the district include Brighton, Thornton, Commerce City, Fort Lupton, Greeley, and Berthoud.
Evans, a former Arvada police lieutenant and Army veteran, originally won the seat in 2024. He defeated Democratic incumbent Yadira Caraveo by a margin of less than one percentage point. His campaign focused heavily on border security, public safety, and affordability. Evans, the grandson of Mexican immigrants, argued for stricter immigration enforcement while supporting a pathway for legal immigration.
In a June interview, Evans outlined his stance on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. He supported the legislation, which imposes new work requirements for Medicaid eligibility. Under the law, able-bodied working-aged adults without young children must report working, volunteering, or attending school for at least 80 hours in a month to maintain coverage. State data indicates that one in four residents in the 8th District rely on Medicaid.
Evans defended the requirement as a way to ensure funds reach those with the greatest need. He described Medicaid as one of the least efficiently administered programs in the nation. Rutinel campaigned on the opposite platform, pledging to reverse cuts to Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, and food assistance contained in the 2025 Republican tax and spending law.
Rutinel’s background contrasts with his opponent’s law enforcement career. He is the son of a single mother who immigrated from the Dominican Republic. He holds a master’s degree in applied economics from Johns Hopkins University and a law degree from Yale Law School. He previously worked as an economist for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and as an attorney for the environmental nonprofit Earthjustice.
The campaign drew substantial financial attention from outside groups. Federal Election Commission filings cited by Colorado Politics show that more than $17 million in outside spending was directed at the race. House Speaker Mike Johnson visited the district in late October to campaign alongside Evans. Political analysts have noted that Adams County, which contains many swing voters and rapidly growing communities, likely served as the deciding factor in the outcome.
The result marks a shift in representation for a district that includes some of the fastest-growing communities in the state. Evans had previously advocated for reducing government spending on Green New Deal programs and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. He also pushed for reduced building codes and construction defect liability requirements to lower housing costs. Rutinel’s victory puts a Democrat back in control of a seat that has flipped parties in recent election cycles.
