CO-08: Battleground House primary in Colorado poses test for Democratic voters
Since its creation before the 2022 election, Colorado’s 8th District has been won once by a Democrat and once by a Republican, each time by a narrow margin.
Now Democrats are pressing to flip America’s swingiest seat once again. The effort will kick into high gear next week, when voters select the Democratic nominee to take on Republican freshman Gabe Evans, who unseated Democrat Yadira Caraveo by less than a percentage point two years ago.
The primary pits former state Rep. Shannon Bird, a political pragmatist with deep roots in the district, against state Rep. Manny Rutinel, the son of an immigrant single mother who sold his plasma to help his family pay the bills. (A third candidate, Marine veteran Evan Munsing, ended his campaign last month, though his name remains on the primary ballot.)
In a closely divided House, the district north of Denver will be key to determining which party controls the chamber.
Democrats believe Evans is vulnerable, citing his vote last year for Donald Trump’s sweeping tax and spending measure, which contained cuts to Medicaid, and his support for the president’s immigration crackdown.
https://rollcall.com/2026/06/24/battleground-house-primary-in-colorado-poses-test-for-democratic-voters/