Rutinel beats Evans by 32,000 votes in 8th District

In Commerce City, Democrat Manny Rutinel claimed the win for Colorado’s 8th Congressional District Tuesday night. He defeated Republican Gabe Evans, who was running for re-election. The victory ended Evans’ tenure in the seat.

Rutinel received 56% of the vote while Evans collected 41%. The gap amounted to more than 32,000 ballots. This result stands as the widest margin recorded in the district since its creation following the 2020 Census.

The race involved heavy financial spending. Super PACs poured more than $32 million into the contest, making it the most expensive congressional race in Colorado this year. The district includes portions of Adams, Larimer, and Weld counties. It holds the state’s highest percentage of Latino voters at nearly 40%.

Rutinel addressed supporters in Commerce City after the results were confirmed. He traced his background to working-class roots. "The people of Colorado showed that in America, you can be the son of a single mom who survived for many months on Medicaid and food stamps, who worked for many years at McDonald’s, and you can go on to become a member of Congress for the United States of America," he said.

Evans held a watch party in Brighton prior to the race being called. He thanked his team and the public for their assistance. "Thank you for all of the support over the years," Evans said. "Thank you to my team, to everyone that’s helped, because we accomplished a lot in Congress."

Evans initially won the seat in 2024 with a margin under 1%. He had previously served in the state legislature. Rutinel stepped down from his role as state representative in September to concentrate on the federal campaign.