Manny Rutinel Flips Colorado's 8th District, Ousting Rep. Gabe Evans in 2026 Midterms

Democrat Manny Rutinel has flipped Colorado's 8th District, defeating first-term Republican Representative Gabe Evans in one of the most closely watched House races of the 2026 midterm elections, the Associated Press projected on election night. The AP called the race at 9:49 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, returning the seat to Democratic control after just two years in Republican hands and capping a strong night for Democrats across Colorado.

Key Points

• The Associated Press called Colorado's 8th District for Democrat Manny Rutinel at 9:49 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
• Rutinel led with 137,200 votes to Evans' 104,702, with Libertarian Dave Wood on 9,623, at 90.67% of precincts reporting.
• The result returns the seat to Democratic control after Evans narrowly flipped it from Democrat Yadira Caraveo in 2024.
• Evans, a first-term Republican, had not conceded on election night.
• Three other Colorado House races remained uncalled on Wednesday, November 4, including the contests involving Lauren Boebert and Jeff Hurd.

What Happened

The call came relatively early in the evening. With 90.67% of precincts reporting, Rutinel held about 56% of the vote to Evans' 40%, a margin of more than 32,000 votes that the Associated Press judged insurmountable. It was the first time the 8th District race had ever been called on election night. Libertarian candidate Dave Wood took 9,623 votes, a small share that did not change the shape of the race.

Rutinel, a lawyer, economist and state legislator, built his lead in the district's population centres along the Front Range and held it as results came in from Weld County. Evans, who had won the seat by a narrow margin two years earlier, could not reproduce the coalition that carried him to victory in 2024. Evans did not concede on election night, and no statement from his campaign had been issued by the time the race was called.

Background and Context

Colorado's 8th District stretches from Denver's northern suburbs to Greeley in Weld County, taking in fast-growing communities along the northern Front Range. It is the state's newest congressional district, and it has changed hands at every election since it was first contested, making it one of the purest swing seats in the country.

Democrat Yadira Caraveo won the seat when it was first fought in 2022. Two years later, Evans, a former police officer and state legislator, narrowly defeated her to flip it for the Republicans. That 2024 result made the district a top Democratic target in the 2026 midterms. Rutinel came into the race with a profile built in the Colorado legislature and with professional experience as both a lawyer and an economist, campaigning on the cost of living, health care and the pressures facing the fast-growing communities north of Denver.

How Manny Rutinel Won Colorado's 8th District

The scale of Rutinel's win surprised even seasoned observers of Colorado politics. A 16-point margin in a district decided by a whisker two years earlier pointed to a much broader shift than a single candidate's appeal, and it tracked with Democratic strength elsewhere in the state on election night.

Democrats swept the top of the Colorado ticket, winning the governor's race and holding the Senate seat, and Rutinel's result fitted that pattern. Voters in the Denver suburbs who backed Democrats at the top of the ballot appear to have stayed with the party down the ticket, giving Rutinel a cushion Evans could not overcome even in the more conservative parts of Weld County. The result also showed the limits of incumbency in a seat with no deep partisan roots.

Reactions

There was no immediate concession from Evans, and no public statement from his campaign on election night. His silence left the formal end of the race unresolved even as the AP's call made the outcome clear. For Democrats, the win was one of the cleanest pickups of the night: the party had made the 8th District a priority from the start of the cycle, and Rutinel's victory delivered the seat back two years after losing it, alongside wins in the governor's race and the Senate contest.

Republicans faced questions about how a seat they had fought hard to win in 2024 slipped away so decisively, and about their weakening hold on Colorado's suburbs.

Why It Matters

The 8th District flip mattered beyond Colorado because it was part of a national Democratic wave that returned control of the House and the Senate to the party. Every seat counted in that fight, and a 16-point win in a district that was a toss-up two years ago showed how far the political ground had moved.

For Colorado, the result confirms the state's drift away from the Republicans in its fast-growing suburbs. The win gives Rutinel a platform in Washington on the cost of living and health care, and removes a prominent Republican freshman after a single term. Evans had been seen as a rising figure in the Colorado Republican Party, and his defeat is a setback for its efforts to rebuild in the suburbs.

What Happens Next

The result remains unofficial until county canvasses certify the vote, and November 12 is the deadline for military and overseas ballots and for voters to cure signature problems on their ballots. Those remaining ballots are not expected to change the outcome given the size of Rutinel's lead.

Evans will serve out the remainder of his term, which ends in January, when Rutinel is due to take his seat in the new Congress. Attention will meanwhile stay on the three House races still uncalled on Wednesday: Republican Representative Jeff Hurd pulled ahead of Democrat Dwayne Romero in the 3rd District, Democrat Eileen Laubacher led Representative Lauren Boebert by less than a point in the 4th, and Democrat Jessica Killin led Representative Jeff Crank by about five points in the 5th.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won Colorado's 8th District in the 2026 midterms?
Democrat Manny Rutinel won the seat, defeating first-term Republican Representative Gabe Evans. The Associated Press called the race at 9:49 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

What was the vote count?
At the time of the call, Rutinel had 137,200 votes to Evans' 104,702, with Libertarian Dave Wood on 9,623, at 90.67% of precincts reporting. Rutinel held about 56% of the vote to Evans' 40%.

Did Gabe Evans concede the race?
No. Evans had not conceded on election night, and his campaign had issued no statement by the time the Associated Press called the race for Rutinel.

Which Colorado House races were still uncalled?
Three remained uncalled on Wednesday, November 4: the 3rd District, where Jeff Hurd led Dwayne Romero; the 4th, where Eileen Laubacher led Lauren Boebert by less than a point; and the 5th, where Jessica Killin led Jeff Crank by about five points.

When will the result become official?
Results stay unofficial until county canvasses certify them. November 12 is the deadline for military and overseas ballots and signature cures.

Read more: Colorado Democrats Sweep Top Races as Weiser Wins Governor and Hickenlooper Keeps Senate, Jeff Hurd Edges Ahead of Dwayne Romero in Uncalled Colorado 3rd District Race, and Lauren Boebert Trails Eileen Laubacher in Uncalled Colorado 4th District Race.