State Rep. Manny Rutinel won the Democratic primary for Colorado’s 8th Congressional District, setting up a matchup with Rep. Gabe Evans (R-CO) in the northern Denver suburbs-based seat.
Rutine led former state Rep. Shannon Bird 60.6%-34.6% with 82% of the vote tabulated when the Associated Press called the race.
The primary was a competitive and, at times, bitter affair. Rutinel, who has tacked more progressive in his career, made the case that someone with Hispanic heritage is a better fit for the Latino-plurality seat. The district has never been represented by a non-Latino member, as Evans and former Rep. Yadira Caraveo are Mexican American.
Bird, who is white, ran on a platform of electability, arguing that her moderate bonafides are ideal for the swing seat. Bird was backed by centrist groups like the Bench and the Blue Dogs, while Rutinel was endorsed by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
But the Bird’s campaign lost steam in the closing weeks of the campaign. Rutinel was boosted by an infusion of tech and crypto spending, while Bird’s television spending decreased in recent weeks.
Some were upset D.C. Democrats didn’t intervene to save Bird, seen by centrists as the more electable candidates.
“If we wake up Wednesday and Manny Rutinel is our nominee, the DCCC is going to have a lot of egg on their face and for not the first time this cycle,” one Democratic strategist familiar with the race, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told the Washington Examiner.
ETHNICITY AND ELECTABILITY AT CENTER OF NASTY DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY IN COLORADO
Sources familiar with the race told the Washington Examiner that Ruintel’s nomination likely means Democrats will have to spend more than they would have with Bird, but Democrats still think they have a viable path forward with Rutinel.
The race is expected to be one of the most competitive in the country. Evans, a freshman, was elected in 2024 by fewer than 3,000 votes in what was just the second election held on the lines. The district was created for the 2022 elections after the bicentennial Census.