Republican U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans and Democratic challenger Manny Rutinel are locked in a close race for Colorado’s 8th Congressional District. The outcome could help determine not just the makeup of Colorado’s congressional delegation, but also which party controls the U.S. House.
Most of Adams County’s active voters live in the 8th District. Colorado State University ethnic studies professor Ernesto Sagás said Latino voters in the county could decide the race.
“It's a very, very close race,” he said. “It is the most Latinx of all the districts in Colorado: officially at 38% Latinx, probably more than that.”
Sagás said many young Latino voters who backed President Donald Trump in 2024 have soured on his leadership.
“They are not happy with the state of the economy; they are not happy with the Iran war,” he said. “They are swinging back to the Democrats apparently, and that is what is reflected in the polling data.”
Sagás also noted Latino voters in Colorado tend to support Democrats at higher rates than in other states. He’ll be watching Tuesday night to see how that shapes the results across the 8th District.
Voting in Adams County has also drawn federal attention.
The U.S. Department of Justice will have election observers posted outside and at least 100 feet from voting centers after rejecting conditions the Colorado secretary of state’s office set for entering them. The Justice Department has described the monitoring as routine, but some election officials have raised concerns about voter intimidation.
Olivia Mendoza leads the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado. She said she’s not surprised by the focus on Adams County.
“There is a high density of Latino voters,” she said. “There's a high density of young people of color in Adams County.”
Mendoza said much of that population lives in the competitive 8th District. She encouraged Coloradans to know their rights as they head to the polls.
“We cannot allow for intimidation or scare tactics to dissuade us from that responsibility,” she said. “We need to show up. The rights that we have are to do that in a manner, again, that [is] free from threats, free from intimidation.”
Mendoza said people can report signs of voter interference to local election officials or the Election Protection hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683). Spanish-language assistance is available at 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (1-888-839-8682). The Colorado secretary of state’s office has also said it will take any reports of voter intimidation seriously.
