Two Democrats seek GOP congressman’s seat in Colorado

By Liam Hibbert
The Center Square

Two state Democratic officials are nipping at the heels of the Republican incumbent in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District in what has been deemed one of the nation’s fiercest battleground races.

Voters in the politically diverse district have narrowly swapped party representatives in recent elections. This year candidates in the June 30 primary election are arguing the most over cost of living, immigration and government accountability.

Colorado’s 8th Congressional District is the state’s newest district, formed north of Denver in a heavily Latino and politically divided region after the 2020 census. The 2022 election saw a Democrat elected to represent the district by a margin of less than 2,000 ballots – fewer than 1% of voters. In 2024, a similarly narrow 0.8% margin put Republican incumbent Gabe Evans in office.

This year’s Nov. 3 election is expected to come down to similarly narrow margins. While Evans goes unchallenged in the Republican primary, two Democrats, both with recent experience in the Colorado state House, are vying for their party’s ticket.

The two Democrats in Tuesday’s primary have endorsed largely similar policies. They both argue for lowering costs for middle-class Americans by reversing tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, expanding social programs and reducing the price on basic needs such as housing.

“They’re having to pay more for their healthcare because Donald Trump and Gabe Evans have destroyed the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid, and put at risk hundreds of thousands of folks from losing their health insurance,” Rutinel told The Center Square, citing Evans’ vote in favor of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. According to nonprofit health plan Colorado Access, over 377,000 state residents are at risk of changed or lost healthcare plans due to the federal law.

Evans told The Center Square that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act would increase Medicaid spending. The congressman argued the high cost of healthcare in the state was a result of mismanagement by Colorado’s Democratic leadership.

On an international issue, Bird said the country needed to open itself back up to its allies. He stressed the need to end the conflict with Iran.

“We need to bring our troops home and begin restoring our relationships with our traditional allies around the world to normalize trade relationships so that we can start bringing costs down,” Bird told The Center Square.

Government accountability has become a focus for all three major candidates in the race, with both Democrats arguing the need for Congress to act as more of a check to the president’s power.

“I would not give the president the power to tariff the way that this Congress has,” said Bird. “As we know, the only part of the government that has the authority to impose taxes is Congress – so that’s front and center.”

Both Democratic candidates have also advocated for several changes in immigration enforcement. They said this would mean holding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents more accountable, such as by not wearing masks; providing more clear pathways for immigrants to become citizens; and focusing enforcement on criminals.

Rutinel called on his history of voting in favor of Colorado’s Senate Bill 25-276 law, which among other changes, required ICE agents to present a warrant to enter nonpublic areas of public spaces such as schools and hospitals. He also criticized Bird’s excused absence from the vote.

The two candidates have sought to differentiate themselves largely outside of policy.

At 31 years old, Rutinel would be the fourth-youngest current member of Congress. Having been a representative in the state House, Rutinel has said his experience should speak for itself.

Bird has argued her decades living in the 8th District give her a closer connection to the community, while Rutinel said his Latino roots make him a better fit for the district.

Incumbent Evans will be looking ahead to the November general election as he runs unopposed in the June 30 Republican primary race. He emphasized his experience representing the 8th District to The Center Square and as the only current Hispanic Congress member from Colorado.

“We’re trying to find bipartisan solutions to be able to cut through all of the red tape that’s strangling our economy,” said Evans, citing state mismanagement as the source of Coloradans’ economic woes. “Colorado is the sixth most heavily regulated state in the country. We are a business-unfriendly state.”

According to the Colorado Chamber of Commerce, the state is the sixth-most regulated in the U.S. for business restrictions.

Evans contrasted himself with state Democratic leadership, saying he had focused on bipartisan bills while in office.

The incumbent has outraised his two Democratic competitors with $4.9 million in total campaign funds. Over $690,000 has come from Grow the Majority Political Action Committee, backed by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana. The Republican Defend Our Majority PAC contributed over $280,000 to the campaign.

Rutinel led the Democratic candidates with over $4.1 million in campaign funds. He had received over 20,000 contributions up to $6,600 through ActBlue PAC, a Democratic fundraising platform that processes donations from individuals. He also received over $40,000 from 314 Action, a STEM-focused PAC.

Bird had raked in nearly $2.2 million in campaign funds, including over 4,800 ActBlue PAC contributions at up to $5,000. Democratic PAC Winthecenter contributed $10,000 to her campaign.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on June 30, Election Day. For more information, visit the Secretary of State’s website, coloradosos.gov/pubs/elections. Early election results will be published that evening at www.thecentersquare.com/colorado.