U.S. House · Colorado's 8th District

North Denver suburbs and Weld County, including Thornton, Greeley and Brighton.

General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

✓ Fact-checked 2026-09-25: 16 claims re-checked against their sources · 0 corrected · 1 removed

A second, independent research pass re-opened every cited source for this race and corrected or removed anything the source didn’t support.

  • Removed Manny Rutinel's healthcare_public position (mapped to Social Security Administration staffing cuts, which is not a direct statement about expanding public health coverage).

On the ballot · 3 candidates

Where they stand — side by side

Only positions documented in a cited source are shown. Where an officeholder’s recorded votes speak to an issue, the votes set the position (marked “votes”). A dash means we found no clear public position — not that the candidate has none.

ISSUEGabe Evans
R
Manny Rutinel
D
David Wood
LIB
Expand immigration enforcement and deportationsSupports[5][6][7][8]votes—Opposes[4]
Raise taxes on high earners or corporationsOpposes[6][7][8]votes——
Expand public health coverageOpposes[6][7][8][9]votes——
Faster transition away from fossil fuelsOpposes[6][7][8]votes——
Public funding for school choice (vouchers / charters)Supports[2]——
Broad tariffs on imported goodsSupports[10]votes—Opposes[4]

The candidates, in full

Gabe Evans

RINCUMBENTU.S. Representative for Colorado's 8th District (since 2025)

Gabe Evans is the incumbent U.S. Representative for Colorado's 8th District, elected in 2024 after defeating incumbent Yadira Caraveo. He is an Army veteran and former police lieutenant who previously served two years in the Colorado House of Representatives.[2]

Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.

Key votes in Congress

  • NoWar Powers Resolution directing removal of forces from Iran hostilities · H. Con. Res. 86 · Passed 215–208 · 2026-06-03 roll call ↗The resolution directs the President to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities with Iran that Congress has not authorized, invoking the War Powers Resolution. It passed the House with support from Democrats and a number of Republicans.
  • NoResolution disapproving tariffs on Canada · H.J. Res. 72 · Passed 219–211 · 2026-02-11 roll call ↗The resolution terminates the national emergency the President declared in February 2025 to justify a 25 percent tariff on imports from Canada, ending that tariff if it becomes law. It passed with a bipartisan majority, including several Republicans who broke with the administration on trade policy.
  • YesConsolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 — full-year government funding · H.R. 7148 · Passed 217–214 · 2026-02-03 roll call ↗The bill provides full-year discretionary appropriations for federal agencies for the remainder of fiscal year 2026, replacing the stopgap funding enacted after the fall 2025 shutdown. It sets spending levels across defense and non-defense programs through September 2026.
  • NoBreaking the Gridlock Act — ACA subsidy extension · H.R. 1834 · Passed 230–196 · 2026-01-08 roll call ↗The bill extends for additional years the enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits that were expanded in 2021 and had lapsed at the end of 2025, lowering health-insurance premiums for people who buy coverage on ACA marketplaces. It passed with support from nearly all Democrats and a small group of Republicans.
  • NoWar Powers Resolution on Venezuela · H. Con. Res. 64 · Failed 211–213 · 2025-12-17 roll call ↗The resolution would have directed the President to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities in or against Venezuela that Congress had not authorized. It failed after U.S. military strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels off Venezuela had raised questions in Congress about the administration's legal authority for military action in the region.
  • YesNational Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 — final passage · S. 1071 · Passed 312–112 · 2025-12-10 roll call ↗The fiscal year 2026 NDAA authorizes roughly $900 billion in defense spending, including a pay raise for service members and funding for shipbuilding, munitions, and missile-defense programs. It also sets policy on military personnel, procurement, and other Defense Department programs for the year.
  • YesEpstein Files Transparency Act · H.R. 4405 · Passed 427–1 · 2025-11-18 roll call ↗The bill directs the Department of Justice to publicly release its investigative files related to Jeffrey Epstein within 30 days, while allowing redactions to protect victim identities, ongoing investigations, and law enforcement techniques. It passed with near-unanimous support.
  • YesContinuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026 — shutdown-ending vote · H.R. 5371 · Passed 222–209 · 2025-11-12 roll call ↗The bill reopened the federal government after a 43-day shutdown by funding most agencies through January 30, 2026, and providing full-year funding for a smaller group of agencies through September 2026. It also reversed shutdown-related federal layoffs and funded SNAP benefits retroactively.
  • YesCLARITY Act — digital asset market structure · H.R. 3633 · Passed 294–134 · 2025-07-17 roll call ↗The CLARITY Act creates a regulatory framework dividing oversight of digital assets between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. It sets registration and disclosure requirements for cryptocurrency exchanges and other digital-asset intermediaries.
  • YesGENIUS Act — stablecoin regulation · S. 1582 · Passed 308–122 · 2025-07-17 roll call ↗The GENIUS Act creates a federal regulatory framework for payment stablecoins, requiring issuers to hold reserves backing their tokens on a one-to-one basis and to comply with new disclosure and licensing rules. It was the first major piece of cryptocurrency legislation enacted into federal law.
  • YesOne Big Beautiful Bill Act — final passage · H.R. 1 · Passed 218–214 · 2025-07-03 roll call ↗H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, extends and expands the 2017 tax cuts, adds new deductions for tips, overtime pay, and seniors, and raises the cap on state and local tax deductions. It increases border security and defense spending while cutting projected Medicaid and SNAP spending and adding new work requirements; President Trump signed it into law on July 4, 2025.
  • YesRescissions Act of 2025 · H.R. 4 · Passed 214–212 · 2025-06-12 roll call ↗The Rescissions Act canceled about $9 billion in previously approved federal spending, mostly for foreign aid programs and for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. It was the first rescissions package Congress had approved in decades.
  • YesOne Big Beautiful Bill Act — House passage · H.R. 1 · Passed 215–214 · 2025-05-22 roll call ↗H.R. 1 extends and modifies the 2017 individual and business tax cuts, creates new deductions for tips and overtime pay, and increases spending on border security and defense. It also reduces projected spending on Medicaid and food-assistance programs and adds new work requirements for some recipients.
  • YesSAVE Act — proof-of-citizenship voter registration · H.R. 22 · Passed 220–208 · 2025-04-10 roll call ↗The SAVE Act would require individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship in person when registering to vote in federal elections. It also directs states to establish procedures to remove noncitizens identified on voter rolls.
  • YesFull-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 · H.R. 1968 · Passed 217–213 · 2025-03-11 roll call ↗The bill funded the federal government through the remainder of fiscal year 2025, largely at prior-year spending levels, averting a shutdown ahead of a March 14 deadline. It also extended several expiring health and other program authorizations.
  • YesLaken Riley Act — final passage · S. 5 · Passed 263–156 · 2025-01-22 roll call ↗The Laken Riley Act requires the Department of Homeland Security to detain undocumented immigrants who are arrested, charged, or convicted for theft, burglary, or certain violent crimes. It also allows state attorneys general to sue the federal government over certain immigration enforcement decisions.

On the record — official actions

  • actionServes on the House Committee on Homeland Security (Counterterrorism and Intelligence; Emergency Management and Technology subcommittees) and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce (Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade; Energy; Environment subcommittees) in the 119th Congress.[2]

Positions on the issues

  • SupportsPublic funding for school choice (vouchers / charters)

    Campaign website says educational freedom means families should be able to choose the education that works best for them.[2]

  • SupportsExpand immigration enforcement and deportationsFrom recorded votes

    Voted yes on Laken Riley Act (S. 5, 2025-01-22). Voted yes on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which funded expanded immigration enforcement, detention and border operations.[5][6][7][8]

  • OpposesExpand public health coverageFrom recorded votes

    Voted yes on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which reduced federal Medicaid spending and added Medicaid work requirements. Voted no on Breaking the Gridlock Act (H.R. 1834, 2026-01-08).[6][7][8][9]

  • OpposesFaster transition away from fossil fuelsFrom recorded votes

    Voted yes on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which phased out Inflation Reduction Act clean-energy tax credits.[6][7][8]

  • OpposesRaise taxes on high earners or corporationsFrom recorded votes

    Voted yes on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which made the 2017 individual tax rates, including the 37% top rate, permanent.[6][7][8]

  • SupportsBroad tariffs on imported goodsFrom recorded votes

    Voted no on Resolution disapproving tariffs on Canada (H.J. Res. 72, 2026-02-11).[10]

In their words — priorities

  • Campaign website lists four platform pillars: lowering the cost of living by reducing deficit spending and regulation, focusing the military on "warfighting," expanding educational choice for families, and "defending American values."[2]

Background

  • Born in Aurora, Colorado; served in the U.S. Army from 2007 to 2019; earned a bachelor's degree from Patrick Henry College in 2009.[2]
  • Career experience includes owning and operating a family farm, working as a police lieutenant, and serving as a concealed-carry firearms instructor.[2]
  • Served in the Colorado House of Representatives (District 48) from 2023 to 2025 before his election to Congress in 2024.[2]

Campaign money

Raised $5.4M · spent $1.6M · $3.9M cash on hand (through 2026-06-30) FEC filing ↗

Manny Rutinel

DMember, Colorado House of Representatives, District 32 (2023-2026)

Won the June 30, 2026 Democratic primary over State Rep. Shannon Bird and Evan Munsing (who unofficially withdrew).

Manny Rutinel is a Colorado state representative and attorney running for Colorado's 8th District. He was appointed to the state House in 2023 and did not run for re-election there in 2026, instead running for Congress.[3]

Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.

On the record — official actions

  • actionServed as a member of the Colorado House of Representatives, District 32, from October 2023 until leaving office on September 4, 2026.[3]

In their words — priorities

  • In his Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey response, said he is running in part to oppose planned cuts to the Social Security Administration's workforce and field offices.[2]

Background

  • Earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Florida in 2016, a master's degree from Johns Hopkins University in 2018, and a J.D. from Yale Law School in 2022.[3]
  • Professional experience includes working as an economist at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and as chief executive officer of Climate Refarm.[3]
  • An Adams County Democratic vacancy committee appointed him to the Colorado House of Representatives, District 32, on October 9, 2023, to replace Dafna Michaelson Jenet; he left that office on September 4, 2026 to focus on the congressional race.[3]

Campaign money

Raised $4.3M · spent $3.7M · $601K cash on hand (through 2026-06-30) FEC filing ↗

David Wood

LIB

David Wood, a retired computer programmer from Westminster, is running as the Libertarian Party candidate for Colorado's 8th Congressional District.[1][4]

Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.

Positions on the issues

  • OpposesExpand immigration enforcement and deportations

    Opposes current deportation practices and calls for more immigration judges to speed due process for immigrants.[4]

    “Stop the shameful deporting of peaceful hard-working immigrants and increase the number of immigration judges so immigrants can get timely due process in applying for citizenship.”
  • OpposesBroad tariffs on imported goods

    Opposes tariffs on imported goods, favoring free trade.[4]

    “We need Free Trade. Imposing tariffs on foreign goods raises the cost of raw materials and manufactured products, shifting those higher expenses onto us, as struggling consumers.”

In their words — priorities

  • Reduce U.S. military intervention abroad, including bringing troops home from overseas bases and reducing the military budget.[4]
  • Stop deportations of what he calls 'peaceful hard-working immigrants' and increase the number of immigration judges to speed due process.[4]
  • End tariffs and other federal interventions in the economy, and pass a balanced budget amendment.[4]

Background

  • Wood is a retired computer programmer living in Westminster, Colorado.[4]

Research notes & limits

No Ballotpedia biography page or campaign materials were found for Libertarian candidate David Wood; his entry is limited to his ballot listing from the Colorado 2026 House elections overview.

Sources · 10

Researched 2026-09-25. Green citations are official government records.

  1. 1.United States House of Representatives elections in Colorado, 2026 · Ballotpedia Reference
  2. 2.Gabe Evans · Ballotpedia Reference
  3. 3.Manny Rutinel · Ballotpedia Reference
  4. 4.David Wood's Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey responses · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey Candidate's own words
  5. 5.Roll call: Laken Riley Act — final passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-01-22 Official record
  6. 6.Roll call: One Big Beautiful Bill Act — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-05-22 Official record
  7. 7.H.R. 1 (119th Congress) — One Big Beautiful Bill Act: text and summary · Congress.gov Official record
  8. 8.Roll call: One Big Beautiful Bill Act — final passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-07-03 Official record
  9. 9.Roll call: Breaking the Gridlock Act — ACA subsidy extension · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2026-01-08 Official record
  10. 10.Roll call: Resolution disapproving tariffs on Canada · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2026-02-11 Official record