Colorado Democrats Race to Win a Key Primary Before Facing a Tough Republican in November

Two Democrats are fighting to win their party's primary election in Colorado's 8th Congressional District. The primary vote is happening on Tuesday. The winner will go on to face Republican Rep. Gabe Evans in November. This district, which runs from Commerce City north to Greeley, is one of the most competitive in the entire country.

State Rep. Manny Rutinel and former state Rep. Shannon Bird are the two Democrats trying to win the nomination. Both of them have served in the Colorado House of Representatives. They say that experience makes them ready to lead. The winner of Tuesday's primary will move on to challenge Evans in the general election this fall.

Bird says her record of getting things done proves she is the right person for the job. She wants to focus on better schools, more jobs, affordable housing, and access to health care. She also believes she can connect with many different kinds of voters. 'To win this seat, we need a leader who is battle tested and who actually has delivered real results. That is who I am,' Bird said.

Rutinel says he has co-sponsored 400 laws during his time in the Colorado legislature. He wants to push back against the Trump administration and stand up for working people. He believes voters are looking for someone willing to fight for them. 'Folks are looking for leaders who are going to fight Donald Trump and fight for working people,' Rutinel said.

Both candidates have spent the final days of the primary reaching out to voters across the district. Rutinel's team has been knocking on doors in neighborhoods throughout the area. Bird says she has already made 170 stops around the district and plans to make more before Election Day. Getting people to vote is the top goal for both campaigns right now.

The 8th District is known for being closely divided between Republicans and Democrats. That means candidates need to appeal not just to their own party, but also to voters who don't belong to either party. These voters are called 'unaffiliated' voters. Bird said she has been working hard to build a broad group of supporters from different backgrounds.

On the Republican side, Rep. Gabe Evans is running unopposed in Tuesday's primary. That means he will automatically move on to the general election in November. Evans said he focuses on representing the people of his district and follows the Constitution. He also said there are times when he disagrees with the Trump administration.

Rutinel said winning this seat matters far beyond just Colorado. He pointed out that Democrats need to win only a small number of seats to take back control of Congress. 'This is just one of a handful of seats that Democrats need to be able to win in order to take back control of our Congress,' Rutinel said. Both candidates agree that this race is one of the most important in the country this year.