Democrat Manny Rutinel is projected to defeat Republican Rep. Gabe Evans in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District, returning one of the country’s most competitive House seats to Democratic control. The Associated Press called the race for Rutinel, a 31-year-old former state representative from Commerce City. At 9:51 p.m., he held 56% of the vote compared with Evans’ 41%, with 75% of the expected vote counted.
The result reverses the outcome of the district’s 2024 election, when Evans defeated Democratic incumbent Yadira Caraveo by less than one percentage point. Evans previously served as an Arvada police lieutenant and a state lawmaker and is an Army veteran. The district was established following the 2020 Census because of population growth and quickly emerged as a major congressional battleground.
Spanning Adams and Weld counties and a portion of Larimer County, the district brings together expanding suburbs north of Denver, working-class communities along U.S. 85 and agricultural areas in Weld County. Its communities include Commerce City, Brighton, Thornton, Fort Lupton, Greeley and Berthoud. Hispanic or Latino voters account for 38.5% of the district, according to the Colorado Independent Redistricting Commissions.
Strategists have identified Adams County as potentially decisive because of its concentration of swing voters and rapidly growing communities. Weld County has historically provided Evans with his strongest backing. Oil and gas production, farming and public safety frequently shape political debate there. Across the district, the campaign attracted more than $17 million in outside spending, according to Federal Election Commission filings cited by Colorado Politics in October. House Speaker Mike Johnson joined Evans on the campaign trail in late October.
Rutinel centered his campaign on bringing down household costs. He promised to undo reductions to Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act and food assistance contained in the 2025 Republican tax and spending law supported by Evans. Rutinel is the son of a single mother who immigrated from the Dominican Republic. He holds a master’s degree in applied economics from Johns Hopkins University and a Yale law degree, and previously worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as an economist and for environmental law nonprofit Earthjustice as an attorney.
Evans emphasized affordability, public safety and border security, frequently discussing his background as the grandson of Mexican immigrants. He advocated stronger border enforcement and tighter immigration policies. In a June interview with Denver7, he also said there should be a pathway for people trying to follow the rules.
Medicaid was another campaign issue. State figures show that the program covers one in four district residents. Denver7 questioned Evans about his vote to advance the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and its new work requirements. Evans defended requirements for qualifying adults to work, volunteer or attend school, arguing that they would direct resources toward people who needed assistance.
Evans also proposed cutting government spending on programs associated with the Green New Deal and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives as a way to reduce costs. His housing proposals focused on easing regulations and barriers to ownership, including construction defect liability requirements and building codes that he argued made construction more expensive.
