Manny Rutinel, 2026 Colorado 8th District House Democratic candidate
Manny Rutinel
DEMOCRATIC
Colorado State House (D)
2023 – Present
Colorado state flag

Colorado 82026 HOUSE POLLS

Gabe Evans, 2026 Colorado 8th District House Republican candidate
Gabe Evans*
REPUBLICAN
US House of Representatives (R-CO)
2025 – Present

2026 Colorado 8th District House Forecast:

The Pollsmax 2026 Colorado 8th District House forecast currently gives Democrat Manny Rutinel a 57.4% chance of defeating Republican Gabe Evans. Pollsmax projects Rutinel to receive 50.3% of the vote compared with 49.8% for Evans, a projected Democratic margin of 0.5 percentage points. The model currently rates the race as Tilt Democratic. The forecast is updated using 100,000 simulations incorporating polling and race fundamentals. See the Pollsmax forecast methodology.

The 2026 Colorado 8th District House election features Democrat Manny Rutinel and Republican Gabe Evans. Incumbent Representative Gabe Evans is seeking reelection to a second term. In 2024, Kamala Harris won Colorado's 8th congressional district by 4.5%, and the election for the district's House seat is rated as tilt Democratic in 2026. The race will test whether Democrats can flip a competitive Colorado seat or whether Republicans can hold one of their key House battlegrounds. Colorado's 8th District will be critical in determining control of the House for the second half of President Trump's term.

Year
2026
Race
House
District
CO-8
Democratic candidate
Manny Rutinel
Republican candidate
Gabe Evans
Incumbent / open seat
Gabe Evans
Forecast rating
Tilt D
Projected vote
50.3% D / 49.8% R
Projected margin
D +0.5
Forecast odds
57.4% D / 42.6% R
Forecast last updated
12:00 AM on September 30, 2026
Polling average
48.0% D / 46.0% R
Polling average margin
D +2.0
Polling last updated
12:00 AM on September 17, 2026
Polls included
1
Latest poll
McLaughlin & Associates (R) — September 17, 2026