Manny Rutinel defeated Shannon Bird in the Democratic primary for Colorado's 8th Congressional District on June 30.
The 8th District was created following the 2020 census. Yadira Caraveo (D), the district's first representative, won election 48.4%-47.7% in 2022. Gabe Evans (R), the incumbent heading into the 2026 election, defeated Caraveo 49.0%-48.2% in 2024. Analysis surrounding the primary was set against the backdrop of the November 3 general election, specifically the chances of either the moderate Bird or the liberal Rutinel defeating Evans.
The Denver Post's John Aguilar wrote, "Democratic hopefuls in the race would be wise to restrain their most progressive impulses, said Robert Pruehs, a political science professor at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Elections in Colorado’s 8th District have very much turned on candidates successfully wooing independents, the district’s largest voting bloc [44% of voters]. ... [T]he Democratic candidates can stake out positions on the left up until the primary election. Then, in a district so evenly divided along partisan lines, they will need to artfully and nimbly steer to the political middle as November draws closer."
Bird's voting history on immigration bills and Rutinel's past stances on ranching and agriculture were central issues shaping the primary. Bird, a former corporate attorney, represented the 29th District in the Colorado House of Representatives from 2023 to 2026 and the 35th District from 2019 to 2023. She resigned in January 2026 to focus on her congressional campaign. Bird said, "I’m running to protect what matters most: our democracy, our economy, and our future. While Gabe Evans hides from answering for his broken promises, I’ll never stop showing up and fighting for every Coloradan to get a fair shot."
According to The Colorado Sun's Taylor Dolven and Jesse Paul, while in office, Bird broke with Democrats and voted with Republicans against two immigration bills "that sought to further limit state and local government cooperation with federal authorities." Rutinel's campaign released an ad saying, "Shannon Bird was the only Democrat to vote with Republicans to allow police to cooperate with ICE and let ICE raid our schools and hospitals. Shannon Bird sold out Latino families." Bird said she cosponsored legislation in 2021 to create Colorado's Immigration Legal Defense Fund and would prioritize an ICE overhaul, including banning face masks, mandating body cameras, and protecting hospitals, courthouses, and schools from ICE enforcement, if elected to Congress.
Rutinel was an environmental attorney before being appointed to Colorado's 32nd House District in 2023. Rutinel said, "I’m running to represent Colorado’s 8th Congressional District, and I’m fighting to lower costs, stop ICE from terrorizing our communities, and stand up to Trump’s attacks on our rights."
The Cook Political Report's Erin Covey wrote, "[Rutinel's] earlier positions on agriculture and energy issues, crucial to this district’s economy, could make him more vulnerable in the general election. Rutinel has avoided embracing the progressive label ... but his strident criticism against the meat and dairy industries as a student activist and environmental attorney gives Republicans a strong line of attack against him." Bird highlighted this reporting to claim "[n]ational Republicans are eager to run against Manny Rutinel, because they believe he is easily beatable and will help them hold on to their House majority." According to The Colorado Sun's Jesse Paul, "Rutinel ... says his opinions on meat and dairy are more nuanced than his previous actions and statements would suggest [and that] he opposes the bad actors in those industries, not the industries as a whole."
Considered one of the most competitive districts in the country, The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales, and Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball all rated the 8th District a toss-up. Covey said, "[The district is] in the top 10 pickup opportunities for Democrats. Democrats only need to flip three seats to take control of the House. This is going to be on the front lines of the Republican defense."
