Manny Rutinel, the Democratic nominee for Colorado’s eighth congressional district, is positioning affordability as his central campaign message in the race against incumbent Republican Gabe Evans. The district, which voted narrowly for Evans in 2024 by approximately 2,500 votes, is rated a toss-up by the Cook Partisan Index.
Rutinel’s personal background features prominently in his campaign narrative. Raised by a single immigrant mother, his family lost their home during the 2008 financial crisis. While completing his second year working at McDonald’s after high school, he worked multiple jobs to fund his education, eventually earning an associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree, and master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University before attending Yale Law School. He currently serves in Colorado’s state legislature, where he notes he has co-sponsored over 400 laws addressing economic affordability. According to his account, legislation he supported has contributed to reducing child poverty in Colorado by nearly 40 percent, resulting in the state achieving the lowest childhood poverty rate nationwide.
Rutinel argues his lived experience of economic hardship distinguishes him from other politicians discussing affordability issues. He points to constituent concerns about rising healthcare premiums, with one family example showing monthly health insurance costs of $2,000 compared to $500 in 2025 for identical coverage. His campaign emphasizes that it accepts no corporate PAC funding, contrasting his approach with Evans’s fundraising practices.
Evans has faced recent scrutiny from labor and other observers. The UFCW local 7 president accused him of privately committing support to meatpacking workers before remaining silent during a subsequent strike. Additionally, Evans has not held any in-person town halls in his district since winning election. The Evans campaign did not respond to requests for comment on these matters or other campaign issues.
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