Manny Rutinel wins Democratic primary in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District

State Rep. Manny Rutinel beat opponent Shannon Bird in the Democratic primary election for Colorado’s 8th Congressional District. 

The Associated Press called the race at 7:40 p.m. Tuesday.

Rutinel had 60.9% of the vote over Bird’s 34.4% of the vote as of 8:12 p.m. Rutinel is a state representative from Commerce City, and Bird is a former state representative from Westminster who resigned to focus on her congressional campaign. 

“Tonight has shown that the son of a single mom who grew up filling out food stamp and Medicaid forms and worked at McDonald’s and can go on to become an economist in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, serve in the state House, and now become your nominee for Congress in the most competitive seat in the country,” Rutinel said shortly after winning at his election night watch party in Commerce City.

Live coverage: 2026 Colorado primary election

Rutinel will face Republican U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans in November, who had no challenger in the Republican primary. Rutinel’s victory means two Latino candidates will face off in November to determine which party will represent the district  that has the largest Latino population in Colorado. 

The Democratic primary in the 8th District saw high dollar campaign fundraising and spending. Both campaigns have raised and spent millions, and outside groups have spent even more on behalf of the two candidates. Super PACs spent more than $5 million in support of Rutinel and more than $1.5 million in support of Bird since January.

In a statement after the race was called, Bird encouraged Democrats to rally behind Rutinel.

“I’d like to congratulate my former colleague Manny Rutinel for a well-run race and for his dedication to our community,” she said. “Unlike Gabe Evans, Manny will fight to protect our freedoms and to lower costs, and I urge everyone to unite behind his campaign so we can flip the House and stop this reckless administration from continuing to wreak havoc on our communities.”

Rutinel called out Evans’ vote to gut Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, “stripping healthcare away from hardworking families like ours.” He said he will restore cuts to healthcare, expand food access programs like food stamps and protect Social Security.

Democrats who supported Rutinel at his watch party included former U.S. Sen. and ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar, Wellington Webb, a former state representative and mayor of Denver, state Reps. Meg Froelich, Bob Marshall, and Chad Clifford, and Westminster City Council member Adam Barajas.

Fighting the Trump administration and increasing affordability are key priorities for Rutinel. He told attendees at his election night watch party that he has never and will never accept corporate PAC money. Rutinel wants to ban members of Congress from trading stocks and get dark money out of politics, he said.

“Gabe Evans thinks that being tough means putting down our most vulnerable neighbors to give tax breaks to his billionaire donors,” Rutinel said. “But we all know that real leadership is about lifting everybody up. That’s the promise at the heart of this campaign and at the heart of the American dream. If you work hard, you should be able to get ahead.”

Zach Bannon, a spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee, which backs Republican congressional candidates in competitive races, said Rutinel is a “radical liberal” who won by “racing to the far left.” But Rutinel has actually moved more to the center on issues like fracking and student debt forgiveness over the course of his primary campaign.

The 8th District, which includes the northern Denver suburbs and extends into Greeley, is Colorado’s most competitive district, and one of the most competitive districts in the country. It is also the state’s newest congressional district, drawn by an independent redistricting commission after the 2020 census.

Evan Munsing, a private equity consultant and Marine veteran, dropped out of the Democratic primary, though his name appeared on the ballot. 

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 11:20 a.m. on July 1, 2026, to include more quotes and photos.