2026 Colorado's 8th Congressional District Election
Compare candidates’ positions, polling, and sourced race updates.
About this race
Colorado's 8th Congressional District is a top national battleground and one of the most competitive U.S. House seats in the country, rated a "Toss Up" by Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, and Sabato's Crystal Ball. Created after the 2020 census and covering parts of Adams, Larimer, and Weld counties from Denver's northern suburbs to Greeley, the district flipped from Democratic control in 2022 to Republican in 2024, with both elections decided by less than one percentage point.
Incumbent Republican Rep. Gabe Evans, a former police officer and Army veteran, faces Democratic former state Rep. Manny Rutinel, an attorney and Army Corps of Engineers veteran, with Libertarian David Wood also on the November 3, 2026 ballot. Evans emphasizes border security, public safety, and fiscal and energy policy, while Rutinel emphasizes lowering costs, protecting healthcare, and anti-corruption measures.
Candidates
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Gabe Evans is the Republican incumbent U.S. Representative for Colorado's 8th Congressional District, first elected in 2024 after defeating Democratic incumbent Yadira Caraveo by less than one percentage point. A Colorado native and grandson of Mexican immigrants, he is a former U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter pilot and Arvada police lieutenant who previously served one term in the Colorado House of Representatives. He emphasizes lowering costs, rebuilding infrastructure, public safety, border security, and an all-of-the-above energy policy, and points to bipartisan work through the Problem Solvers and For Country caucuses, including his Ratepayer Protection Act, which passed the House 417-3 on September 16, 2026.
Manny Rutinel is the Democratic nominee for Colorado's 8th Congressional District and a former member of the Colorado House of Representatives, where he represented District 32 after being appointed in 2023 and elected in 2024. An environmental attorney, Army Corps of Engineers economist, and first-generation American, he won the Democratic primary on June 30, 2026, and resigned his state House seat in September 2026 to campaign full-time. His campaign emphasizes lowering costs for working families, protecting and expanding healthcare, immigration reform, and anti-corruption measures such as banning congressional stock trading and corporate PAC money.
David Wood is the Libertarian Party nominee for Colorado's 8th Congressional District in the November 3, 2026 general election, facing Republican incumbent Rep. Gabe Evans and Democrat Manny Rutinel. Born in Rockford, Illinois, in 1944 and raised in Boulder, Wood is a retired computer programmer and software engineer who has run for office as a Libertarian since the 1970s. His campaign emphasizes reducing federal taxes and spending, opposing U.S. military intervention abroad, and returning more decisions to local communities; he was nominated at the Libertarian Party of Colorado's April 2026 convention.
Forecast
Toss-up
Toss-up candidate: 51% modeled win probability with a +1.0 pts estimated margin
Polling
1 poll, newest firstAbout this research
Data compiled from public sources and analyzed using AI. Last updated October 10, 2026. Visit candidate websites for the most current information.