Candidate Q&A: Colorado’s 8th Congressional District

Coloradans will vote in primary elections June 30 to determine which candidates will represent their party in the general election in November.

The elections cover Colorado’s four statewide constitutional offices, one U.S. Senate seat, all eight of the state’s congressional districts, state legislative districts and other races. Colorado Newsline sent questionnaires to candidates in contested primary races and is publishing responses as part of its voter guide to help Coloradans make informed choices.

Colorado’s 8th Congressional District is represented by Gabe Evans, a Fort Lupton Republican who is running for reelection with no primary challenger. Colorado state Rep. Manny Rutinel of Commerce City and former Colorado state Rep. Shannon Bird of Westminster are running in the Democratic primary, and whoever wins that race at the end of June will face Evans in November.

The 8th District, which includes the northern Denver suburbs and extends into Greeley, is Colorado’s most competitive district. It is also the state’s newest congressional district, drawn by an independent redistricting commission after the 2020 census.

Ballots were scheduled to be mailed to all registered voters in Colorado starting June 8.

Voters can contact their county clerk if they have not received their ballot or check the online BallotTrax system. They can also visit the secretary of state’s website to make a plan to vote in person ahead of or on Election Day. Ballots need to be received by the county clerk by 7 p.m. on that day, so voters should mail their ballot at least eight days ahead of time or drop it off in person.

Evan Munsing, a private equity consultant and Marine veteran, responded to Newsline’s questionnaire shortly before dropping out of the Democratic primary.

Colorado’s 8th Congressional District, Democrats

Manny Rutinel

Age: 31

City of residence: Commerce City

Occupation: State representative

Shannon Bird

Age: 57

City of residence: Westminster

Occupation: Attorney, former state representative

What do residents in your district say is the biggest issue, and how will you work to address it?

RUTINEL: Residents tell me they’re worried about Donald Trump: his attacks on our democracy and his actions driving up the cost of living. For me, fighting Trump is personal. I was raised by a single immigrant mom, and I worked and studied hard to become an economist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. As a Colorado legislator, I passed laws to fight Trump, protect our right to vote and stop ICE from terrorizing Latino families like mine. Now I’m running to bring that fight to Trump in Congress. Unfortunately, my opponent 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. Trump is making life too expensive. I grew up on food stamps and Medicaid, the same programs Trump and Gabe Evans are destroying to give tax breaks to billionaires. His tariffs drive up the cost of groceries and housing. His budget forces millions of Americans off their healthcare. In Congress, I will lower costs, expand tax credits, make billionaires pay what they owe, and fight Trump’s reckless tariffs. I’ll deliver results that make life better and stop Trump’s cruelty and corruption.

BIRD: Everywhere I go, I hear from voters that the cost of healthcare is too high and that it’s getting worse. This issue is personal to me — I’ve been uninsured and know what it’s like to worry about not being able to go to the doctor. That’s why in the Colorado Legislature, I took on the big insurance companies to lower healthcare costs and expanded Medicaid. Unfortunately, both Gabe Evans and Manny Rutinel voted for steep Medicaid cuts — pushing healthcare out of reach for the one in three people in our district who rely on Medicaid. In Congress, I’ll fight with everything I’ve got to reverse the cuts to Medicaid and Medicare, and to restore healthcare subsidies for private insurance. I will also work to expand Medicare to cover vision, dental, and hearing, fight to lower the cost of prescription drugs, and to pass a public option to lower costs for everyone. 

What is your reaction to how Congress recently has stood by as President Donald Trump claimed powers that traditionally belonged to the legislative branch, such as those related to war, government spending and tariffs?

RUTINEL: It is a disgraceful abdication of Congress’s most basic constitutional duties. Trump imposed tariffs that raise prices on working families, poured billions of taxpayer dollars into the funding of masked ICE agents trained to terrorize our communities, and started wars without any plans, all while Congress does nothing. These are powers the Constitution gives to Congress, not the president. The current Republican majority has chosen to serve as rubber stamps for Trump’s cruelty and corruption instead of serving the people who elected them. Gabe Evans and his colleagues were elected to lower costs, not to hand their authority to a president who uses it to make life more expensive and worse for working families and seniors. In Congress, I will hold Trump and his administration accountable for their actions and fight to stop his abuses of power. That means using hearings and subpoenas to hold the Trump Administration accountable, and using the power of the purse to reassert Congress’s role. We need honest, accountable leadership that fights for working families and knows deep in their bones the struggles they face. I promise to always fight for those who have been left out, left behind, or left without a voice.

BIRD: We’re all tired of seeing corrupt politicians in Washington stand by and do nothing as Donald Trump marches us into war and tanks our economy. In Congress, I won’t stand by — I’ll do what I’ve always done: fight for my constituents, defend our democratic values, and roll up my sleeves to deliver results. In contrast, Gabe Evans has aided and abetted the Trump administration at every turn. He has stood by and done nothing about the war in Iran that is causing gas prices to skyrocket, let Trump withhold federal funding from our district, and voted for the tariffs that have caused the cost of everything from groceries to housing to go up. In Congress, I will fight to repeal Trump’s tariffs on day one, reassert Congress’s authority over war powers, and work tirelessly to make life more affordable. We need a congresswoman who listens to us, not one who lets the president run roughshod and usurp checks and balances.

Describe your approach to citizen engagement, such as whether you will appear at in-person town hall meetings and answer unscreened questions from residents?

RUTINEL: I believe Democracy only works when it belongs to all of us, and that starts with showing up. As a state representative, I host regular town halls where constituents ask questions and provide feedback. I have shown up to in-person town halls in the 8th District because the people of this district deserve to be heard. Gabe Evans doesn’t hold public in-person town halls because he’s scared of his own constituents. That is unacceptable. In Congress, I will hold regular in-person town hall meetings across the district and take questions from anyone who shows up. I was a sponsor of Colorado’s Equal Access to Public Meetings Act because I believe all Coloradans deserve to participate in the discussions shaping their lives. I also support making voting records, committee hearings, and legislative debates easily accessible online. My campaign does not take corporate PAC money because I believe elected officials should answer to the people, not corporate special interests. My opponent, Shannon Bird, was one of the top recipients of corporate PAC donations during her time in the Legislature. The people of this district deserve a representative who works for them and looks them in the eye and answers their questions honestly. 

BIRD: A good leader shows up — and I’m proud to have held over 90 town halls and community coffees during my time in the Legislature, and will continue to do so in Congress. It is unconscionable that Gabe Evans has not held a single in-person town hall to answer for his votes. Across this campaign, I’ve made over 170 stops across the district, meeting with small businesses, healthcare providers, farmers, and community institutions, so I can learn about the issues that matter most and be ready to hit the ground running on day one. I have also shown up at places Democratic leaders don’t normally show up by holding a series of “Brews with Bird” events that are open to the public and provide voters an opportunity to ask candid questions and participate in unscripted conversations with me. Additionally, I have personally called thousands of voters to learn about the issues that matter most. I will continue to be accessible, transparent, and meet voters where they are when in Congress, where my focus will be to serve the people of Colorado’s 8th District.

How will you respond to Trump administration actions, such as the withholding of federal disaster assistance, that appear to punish Colorado over political disagreements?

RUTINEL: Trump is using federal funding as a political weapon against Colorado, and it is hitting the working families of this district hard. The Trump administration has targeted over $275 million in federal funding intended to support the 8th District alone. About one in four people in our district rely on Medicaid for health insurance, and Trump’s budget would siphon over $625 billion from Medicaid over the next 10 years. His administration has even threatened to withhold SNAP funding that families depend on to feed hungry children. The Coloradans paying the price are working families, seniors, children, and people with disabilities who did nothing wrong. A disaster is a disaster, and hungry families are hungry families, regardless of how their state voted. In Congress, I will fight to ensure that federal funding is based on need, not on politics and corruption. I will push for transparency and accountability so no president can weaponize federal dollars against states that disagree with him. I will use every tool available, including oversight hearings, lawsuits, legislation, and the power of the purse, to protect Colorado from this kind of retribution. When Trump tries to punish Coloradans, we need leaders in Congress who won’t back down. 

BIRD: Coloradans expect our federal tax dollars to come home, but Gabe Evans has stood by and done nothing as Trump withholds federal funding from our district — whether that be federal disaster assistance, education funding, or transportation grants — for his own political grudges. I’m proud to be the only candidate in this race who has taken on Trump already. In the Colorado Legislature, I passed the law that provided funding for our state’s attorney general to sue the Trump administration, which he has successfully done over withheld funding. In Congress, I’ll always work to bring our money home and stand up to the Trump administration when they withhold funding, including working to pass legislation to secure funding for our district, conducting oversight, and holding the president accountable to ensure that our state isn’t punished.

What, if anything, must Congress do to ensure the security of elections?

RUTINEL: Congress must protect every American’s right to vote and ensure that our elections are free, fair, and secure. These issues are not new to me. In the state House, I’ve sponsored and passed bills to expand voting rights and fight back against Trump’s attacks on our democracy. Congress should pass legislation that protects voters from suppression, ensures adequate funding for election security infrastructure, and prevents political interference in how votes are counted and certified. We need to reverse Citizens United and get dark money out of politics because special interests and dark money groups try to buy our elections. We need to give that power back to the people. I also believe we should explore voting reforms that give power back to the will of working people. Congress should consider restricting firearms near polling locations, as Colorado has already done, to make sure every voter can cast their ballot without intimidation. We should also prevent masked ICE agents from trying to intimidate Americans at polling locations. Elections belong to the people, and I will fight to keep it that way.

BIRD: The right to vote is sacred. Here in Colorado, we’re proud to lead the country in voter protection, efforts I’ve supported in the Legislature. On day one in Congress, I will co-sponsor the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to protect voting rights across the country, and will also support the Freedom to Vote Act to make Election Day a federal holiday, expand voting registration and access, and make our elections systems more secure. I’ll also work to ban partisan gerrymandering nationwide and stand up to Trump and Republicans, who are working to make voting harder.

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