CO-08 Dems in Disarray
Out of touch Democrats Manny Rutinel and Shannon Bird are racing to the far left, attacking each other, and blowing through their cash in the effort to escape their messy primary.
The Democrat primary “is one of the most negative this election cycle.”
While Rutinel and Bird are stuck in disarray, Congressman Gabe Evans is delivering commonsense wins for Coloradans while adding to his campaign war chest. Evans has more cash on hand than Rutinel and Bird COMBINED.
“The floor of a movie theater after opening weekend is less messy than the Democrat primary in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District. Voters should grab more popcorn though because the last week of infighting and disarray will be quite the spectacle.” – NRCC Spokesman Zach Bannon
Read more from the Brighton Standard Blade here or see excerpts below:
Candidates stretch their campaign budgets in 8th District
Brighton Standard Blade
Montey Whaley
June 22, 2026
The two candidates vying for the Democratic nomination in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District are trading sharp attacks in campaign ads while spending a lot of money in an effort to sway voters in the sprawling and coveted district.
The last campaign filings before the June 30 primary – which covers April 1 to June 10 – show that state representative Manny Rutinel from Commerce City raised more than $650,000, with just under $610,000 coming from individuals and more than $34,000 coming from PACs, according to Colorado Public Radio.
During this same period, Rutinel’s campaign spent more than $1.5 million, leaving him with just under $910,000 cash on hand. He started the period with $1.76 million in the bank, CPR states.
Westminster’s Shannon Bird, his opponent in the Democratic primary, raised more than $420,000, with $375,000 coming from individuals and $45,000 coming from PACs, CPR states.
Bird’s campaign, however, burned through $1.2 million, leaving her with just less than $300,000 cash on hand. She had started the period with over $1 million in the bank, CPR states.
[…]
The winner of the primary will still face a funding gap in the run-up to the general election.
Republican incumbent Gabe Evans, who does not face a primary challenger, continued to add to his campaign war chest.
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