Manny Rutinel takes lead in Colorado 8th District race

Manny Rutinel held a 56 percent lead over Republican incumbent Gabe Evans in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District as of 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. The results, posted by the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office, showed the Democrat pulling ahead by 16 percentage points. Libertarian candidate Dave Wood accounted for nearly 4 percent of the votes cast at that time.

The Associated Press had not called the race, but Rutinel claimed victory upon arriving at his watch party. He walked into the Salon Madrid Event Center in Commerce City to applause from a crowd of approximately 200 people. His mother and life partner stood at his side. One supporter in the room held up a pair of boxing gloves in celebration.

“Thank you, thank you, Colorado,” Rutinel told the audience. “This election was decided at kitchen tables.” The 31-year-old former state lawmaker said his path to Congress began 20 years ago when he helped his single mother, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, complete forms for food assistance and Medicaid. Standing on the stage, he asked the room, “Do people like us count? People like me and my mom matter.”

Incumbent Gabe Evans had not conceded at 8:30 p.m. He was finishing dinner at a venue in Brighton when his supporters sat at their tables waiting for more data. Evans, 40, had narrowly defeated Democratic Representative Yadira Caraveo two years ago. The 8th District, which covers parts of Larimer, Weld and Adams counties north of Denver, has always been a tight contest. Each of the four elections since the district’s creation resulted in a winner taking the seat by fewer than 3,000 votes.

National political analysts had been predicting a win for Rutinel in recent weeks. They noted that Republican candidates are struggling to maintain appeal under President Donald Trump, whose public standing has declined. The Cook Political Report observed that the district shifted six points to the right between 2020 and 2024, moving from a Biden plus four seat to a Trump plus two seat. The report added that Trump is now deeply underwater in the area.

Rutinel frequently linked his opponent to Trump during the campaign. In a debate last month, he mentioned Evans and the president in the same sentence nearly 20 times. Evans countered by labeling Rutinel a radical job-killing candidate. He framed the choice as one between crazy and common sense. Rutinel has downplayed his past animal-rights activism, where he once called ranching and meat production a horrific, exploitative industry. Agriculture, ranching, and oil and gas are central to the local economy.

Dick Wadhams, the former Colorado Republican Party Chair, stated that Trump destroyed Republicans across the nation and that Evans is one of the victims. “Rutinel despises farmers, ranchers and oil workers and is unfit to represent the 8th District but all that doesn’t matter because of Trump,” Wadhams said. Rutinel told his supporters that there is nothing wrong with America that cannot be fixed with what is right with America. He choked up while thanking his staff and recalling his family’s earlier struggles.

The race attracted substantial financial support. The two main campaigns spent more than $14 million through mid-October. Outside groups contributed at least $19 million more from the primary through late October. Rutinel surpassed Evans in fundraising last month, collecting nearly $9.5 million as of mid-October compared to Evans’ $7.2 million.