This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. It first appeared at cpr.org.
Now that Manny Rutinel has won the Democratic primary for the 8th Congressional District, House Democrats' campaign arm is showing its support for him as they attempt to flip this toss-up seat.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has added Rutinel to its Red to Blue Program, which provides “top-tier candidates” with fundraising and organizing help.
DCCC chair Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington said Rutinel understands the issues facing working class Coloradans face.
“Manny is a champion for families and is laser-focused on lowering costs, growing our economy, and making it easier for Coloradans to not just get by, but get ahead” she said in a statement. “Unlike Gabe Evans, Manny will always put Colorado families first.”
Rutinel welcomed the news and said in a statement, “Our campaign has the momentum to flip this seat because Gabe Evans keeps making life harder for Coloradans, and I’m focused on lowering costs and fighting for working families,” he said.
Which party controls the House of Representatives in the next Congress could depend on which candidate wins the 8th Congressional District, which includes parts of the northern Denver suburbs up to Greeley in Weld County..
Currently, the district is represented by freshman GOP Rep. Gabe Evans. It is a toss-up seat that Evans won by less than 2,500 votes in 2024. Before that, Democrat Yadira Caraveo won the seat in 2022 by less than 1,600 votes.
Republicans are looking to defend the seat in the hopes of keeping the majority next Congress.
The House Republican campaign arm, the National Republican Congressional Committee, has Evans listed as part of its “Patriot Program,” which also provides fundraising support, strategic resources and organizational help to its incumbents in battleground districts, such as New York Rep. Mike Lawler and Arizona Rep. Juan Ciscomani.
“Meatless Manny Rutinel wants to end animal agriculture, eradicate fossil fuels, and let criminals roam free. While DC Democrats may endorse Rutinel's radical agenda, hardworking Coloradans will resoundingly reject far-left liberal Manny Rutinel this fall,” said NRCC spokesman Zach Bannon in a statement.
Rutinel has walked back some of his past positions, including saying he would ban fracking. He now says he supports “all of the above” energy and would not ban fracking, and that he is no longer a vegan.
In 2024, the DCCC spent about $2 million to keep the seat, while the NRCC spent about $1.5 million to flip it. All in all about $40 million was spent on that race in 2024, with most of the money coming from outside groups and super PACs. A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision means political committees may be able to spend and raise much more this cycle.
Rutinel isn’t the only candidate House Democrats are looking to bolster. The DCCC added Jessica Killin to the Red to Blue program in May as the party looked to expand its target list to include the 5th Congressional District, which is made up mainly of El Paso County.
