Greetings all. Excited to introduce you today to Manny Rutinel, who just won hard fought Democratic primary in CO-8, one of our very best pick up opportunities in the country. The GOP incumbent Gabe Evans won by less than a point in 2024 in a much more Republican year:
And as you will see from our conversation Manny is a compelling candidate with a powerful story. Here’s the DCCC’s short write up of the race:
Manny Rutinel understands the challenges working Coloradans are facing. As a teen, Manny worked at McDonald’s, tutored kids, and even sold his blood plasma to help pay the bills after the bank foreclosed on his family home. And after putting himself through college, Manny joined the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and went on to graduate from Yale Law School. Manny is running for Congress to fight for working families, create good jobs, and improve Coloradans’ health care. The son of a single mom who immigrated from Latin America, Manny’s powerful story resonates with CO-08, an R+0, working class, 40% Latino district that is souring on Gabe Evans and Donald Trump.
Here’s a map of his district, which is 40% Latino:
Like other Republicans running for re-election Gabe Evans has voted for the war, for tariffs, for gutting health care, for funding ICE without reform:
People tell me all the time, “Hey, Manny, in the last election cycle I voted for Donald Trump and Gabe Evans. But this next election, I’ll be voting for you, because I know that you understand my struggles, you understand my dreams and my aspirations, and how unaffordable life has become, and how the corruption and cruelty of the Trump administration and Gabe Evans have made that significantly worse.”
There is a lot of buzz about Manny out there on social media:
“We've had a tremendous amount of success — I think we've had over 600,000, maybe 700,000 new followers since the campaign began, over 80 million organic views, over 8 million organic likes. Just getting the message out there. I think folks are really excited. They see someone who understands their struggles. They see someone who's young. They see a Latino, someone who's a fluent Spanish speaker, and they want to be able to elevate that message.”
And despite being a first time candidate he has put together a very impressive campaign:
“Over 80,000 individual donors have chipped in an average of 27 bucks at [MannyForColorado.com] because they know the stakes. They know how important this race is. I’ll tell you, my congressman, Gabe Evans, he’s frankly a lapdog for the Trump administration. Donald Trump says jump, Gabe Evans says how high. That’s the kind of relationship they have. And I think Gabe Evans is maybe just expecting Mike Johnson and Trump’s billionaire donors to pour enough money into this race to be able to keep the seat. But I’ll tell you, whether it’s those 80,000 individual donors, or the 1,000-plus volunteers that are knocking on doors and making phone calls, we’re going to take back the seat.”
You can help Manny flip CO-8 blue by contributing to our Second Wave Fund designed to bolster battleground House candidates who emerged from later primaries or by giving to Manny directly here.
Enjoy meeting another one of the remarkable leaders running to take back power from MAGA this November. Hit like so more people will to get to meet Manny, share our conversation with others, and keep working hard all. For we have a country to save, and elections like this one in CO-8 to win, together! - Simon
Bio - State Representative Manny Rutinel, Democratic Nominee in CO-08
From his campaign website:
When people hear about my personal story and our campaign’s momentum to take back the House, they tell me I’m Trump’s worst nightmare. This fight is personal for me.
I’m the proud son of an immigrant working-class single mother who had a dream of a better life for her children. Despite America’s promise of opportunity, I grew up filling out food stamp and Medicaid forms to survive—the same programs that Trump is destroying.
During the Great Recession, the bank foreclosed on our home.
With hard work, determination, and the love, support, and grace of my family and community, I found my way. I worked at McDonald’s through high school, and a scar on my arm serves as a testament to the hundreds of times I sold my blood at a plasma center to pay my family’s bills. I started at a community college and then slept on my friend’s couches and floors during my first semester at a public university. I then served as an economist for the US Army Corps of Engineers and became a first responder after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico. I graduated from Yale Law School and made a promise to always fight for those who have been left out, left behind, or left without a voice. A promise to ensure that everyone in America truly has a fair chance at success.
Equal opportunity starts right here in our community. We must fight to lower the cost of housing and healthcare, stop ICE from terrorizing our communities, and defend our rights and freedoms from Trump’s cruelty and corruption. I’m going to bring a real voice to our nation’s capital to improve the lives of everyday people so that every Coloradan has an honest opportunity to succeed.
