Colorado — 8th District

Manny Rutinel

Lower costs for working families

Rutinel advocates for targeted tax relief for working parents, higher taxes on billionaires, and closing corporate tax loopholes to reduce financial strain on middle-class families. He pledges to combat inflation by opposing broad tariffs, prohibiting consumer junk fees, and protecting food assistance programs. During his tenure in the Colorado House, he sponsored legislation expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit and curbing wage theft.

• Sponsored HB24-1134 to expand the Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income families in Colorado.
• Cosponsored HB25-1090 to ban hidden junk fees and HB25-1001 to crack down on wage theft.
• Opposes broad tariff policies that drive up prices on everyday consumer goods like groceries.

“I will lower costs for hardworking families by expanding tax credits for millions of working parents, making billionaires pay what they owe, and closing tax loopholes for corporations.”

“Trump’s tariffs drive up the cost of everyday goods like groceries and housing.”

Gabe Evans

Lower cost of living through fiscal restraint

Evans focuses on tackling inflation by curbing federal deficit spending and reducing regulatory burden on businesses. He pledged to resist tax hikes and voted in Congress for key fiscal restraint legislation. In the state house and U.S. House, he has pushed for tax cuts and free-market policies as the primary driver of economic growth.

• Signed Americans for Tax Reform's Taxpayer Protection Pledge committing to oppose tax increases.
• Voted for H.R.1 (One Big Beautiful Bill Act) and budget resolution H.Con.Res.14 to restrict federal spending.
• Advocates reining in federal regulations to foster domestic energy production and lower everyday expenses.

“Lower the cost of living by reining in deficit spending and the tax-and-regulate policies that are crushing our economy.”

“No more taxes! Reduce deficit spending! Balance the budget! Lower Inflation and the cost of living!”

Manny Rutinel

Oppose ICE abuses and enact comprehensive reform

Rutinel supports comprehensive immigration reform featuring pathways to citizenship for long-term residents and DREAMers, while refocusing enforcement on violent offenders and traffickers. He strongly opposes federal enforcement practices that target law-abiding families and backed Colorado state legislation restricting local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

• Cosponsored Colorado SB25-276 to prevent local police from assisting federal ICE operations.
• Calls for strict accountability for ICE agents, including mandatory body cameras and judicial warrants.
• Supports pathways to citizenship for DREAMers and long-term undocumented residents.

“I will fight to keep our government focused on lowering costs and stop Trump’s abuses of power. In Congress, I’ll hold Trump, Noem, and ICE accountable while pushing for comprehensive immigration reform.”

“I am the only candidate in this race who has voted to protect Colorado immigrants from ICE brutality as a cosponsor of Colorado SB25-276, which keeps Colorado law enforcement focused on keeping us safe rather than supporting ICE’s cruelty.”

Gabe Evans

Secure border and enforce immigration laws

Evans prioritizes strict border security and stringent enforcement of federal immigration laws. In Congress, he assigned high priority to his seat on the House Committee on Homeland Security and voted for strict enforcement measures. He supports mandatory detention and deportation procedures for unauthorized immigrants convicted of offenses like theft or driving under the influence.

• Assigned to the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security.
• Voted for the Laken Riley Act (S.5) to require detention of undocumented immigrants arrested for theft or burglary.
• Voted for H.R.875 making driving while impaired grounds for mandatory deportation.

“he is fighting to secure the border, strengthen public safety, and make life more affordable for hardworking Coloradans.”

“American Security, starting with the border”

Manny Rutinel

Lower healthcare costs and expand access

Rutinel advocates expanding Medicare's drug negotiation powers to lower prescription prices and capping insulin costs at $35 per month for all consumers. He also supports prohibiting unexpected hospital billing and requiring insurance transparency. In the state house, he cosponsored bills expanding telehealth and capping insulin expenses.

• Cosponsored HB24-1438 expanding Colorado's insulin price capping program.
• Sponsored SB24-141 to expand access to telehealth services.
• Cosponsored HB25-1002 mandating insurance coverage for mental healthcare.

“We need to expand Medicare’s power to negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs just like the VA does for our veterans.”

“I want to cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month for every American who needs it and provide similar benefits for other essential medicines.”

Gabe Evans

Market-based healthcare affordability

Evans emphasizes making healthcare affordable alongside other basic needs by empowering free-market competition rather than government mandates. In his legislative record, he worked on bipartisan access to mental healthcare and received recognition for public safety and health legislation.

• Recognized as Mental Health Colorado legislator of the year in 2023 for state legislative work.
• Advocates market-driven solutions to lower healthcare and insurance costs.
• Assigned to the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

“I'll work to make essentials like food, energy, healthcare, and housing affordable.”

Manny Rutinel

Restrict semiautomatic weapons and rapid-fire devices

Rutinel supports strict gun safety legislation aimed at curbing firearm violence. In the Colorado General Assembly, he cosponsored state legislation placing restrictions on semiautomatic firearms and rapid-fire attachment devices.

• Cosponsored SB25-003 restricting semiautomatic firearms and rapid-fire devices in Colorado.

“SB25-003, to restrict semiautomatic weapons and rapid-fire devices in Colorado.”

Gabe Evans

Defend Second Amendment rights

Evans is a firm defender of Second Amendment rights, drawing on his background as a law enforcement officer and concealed carry instructor. He opposes firearm restrictions and advocates for constitutional carry rights for law-abiding citizens.

• Certified concealed carry instructor who has taught firearms courses in the district.
• Member of the National Rifle Association.
• Pledges to defend Second Amendment protections against legislative restrictions.

“Protect freedom of expression, defend the Second Amendment, and secure the rights of all Americans.”

Manny Rutinel

Expand affordable housing funding

Rutinel views affordable housing as a essential common good and basic human need. In the Colorado Legislature, he sponsored legislation to create dedicated state funds aimed at financing affordable housing developments.

• Sponsored SB25-006 creating a $50 million state financing fund for affordable housing.

“Housing is not a luxury; it’s a basic life necessity. Affordable housing should not be treated as just a commodity but rather as a common good that every Coloradan should be able to afford...”

Gabe Evans

Make housing affordable through economic growth

Evans includes housing among basic cost-of-living necessities that must be addressed through broader economic growth, deregulation, and lowering inflation.

• Identifies housing affordability as a core area of focus alongside healthcare and energy.

“I'll work to make essentials like food, energy, healthcare, and housing affordable.”

Manny Rutinel

Expand vocational training and credentials

Rutinel emphasizes strengthening public education and expanding career readiness programs. He advocates for funding high school vocational pathways that allow students to graduate with industry-recognized job credentials.

• Supports increased funding for high school vocational and technical credential programs.
• Worked previously as a substitute teacher during college.

“We need to increase funding for programs that allow interested high school students to graduate with an industry-recognized credential in addition to their high school diploma.”

Gabe Evans

Promote school choice and parental rights

Evans strongly advocates for school choice, educational freedom, and parental empowerment. As a parent who actively homeschools his children, he argues that families should have access to school vouchers, charter options, and alternative learning environments.

• Actively involved in homeschooling his two sons.
• Promotes parental rights, school vouchers, and charter school options.
• Opposes educational policies that restrict school choice.

“Educational freedom means families can choose the education that works best for them.”

“As a father, I am a passionate advocate for education reform, school choice, and the home school community.”

Manny Rutinel

Focus law enforcement on violent crime

Rutinel advocates focusing public safety resources on violent criminals, gang activity, and human trafficking. In state office, he supported laws strengthening consumer protections and worker rights while balancing civil liberties.

• Supports focusing law enforcement efforts on violent offenders and human traffickers.
• Cosponsored bills addressing consumer protection and wage theft.

“We need an immigration enforcement system that improves public safety and national security by focusing on the deportation of violent criminals, gang members, and human traffickers...”

Gabe Evans

Strengthen public safety and law enforcement

Drawing on a decade of experience as a police officer, Evans prioritizes supporting law enforcement officers and reforming criminal justice policies he views as overly soft on crime. In the state house, he authored legislative initiatives targeting drunk driving and property theft.

• Served 10 years as an officer, sergeant, and police lieutenant with the Arvada Police Department.
• Recognized as Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) legislative champion in 2023.
• Criticizes soft-on-crime legislation that led to increases in auto theft and property crime.

“Reduce crime, support law enforcement, and empower citizens to improve the safety of their communities.”

Manny Rutinel

Regulate polluters and ban toxic chemicals

Rutinel supports environmental regulations to protect air and water quality. During his tenure in the Colorado House, he sponsored bills requiring real-time pollution monitoring for industrial violators and banning hazardous forever chemicals in consumer products.

• Sponsored HB24-1388 requiring impact analysis and real-time pollution monitoring for industrial polluters.
• Sponsored SB24-081 banning toxic PFAS 'forever chemicals' in products.
• Served on the Colorado House Energy and Environment Committee.

“HB24-1388, to crack down on polluters breaking the law and require impact analyses and real-time pollution monitoring.”

Gabe Evans

Support domestic energy production

Evans advocates expanding domestic energy production and reducing regulatory constraints on fossil fuels and agriculture. He served on energy committees in both the state house and U.S. House.

• Assigned to the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
• Served on the Energy and Environment Committee in the Colorado House of Representatives.
• Supports traditional domestic energy production to keep consumer costs down.

“Reduce the cost of living by supporting domestic energy production, agriculture, and the free market.”

Manny Rutinel

Ban Congressional stock trading and end dark money

Rutinel champions ethics and campaign finance reform. He rejects corporate PAC money, supports banning stock trading by members of Congress, opposes dark money groups, and advocates exploring voting reforms like approval voting.

• Signed a pledge refusing corporate PAC campaign contributions.
• Supports banning stock trading by members of Congress and overturning Citizens United.
• Advocates exploring voting reforms such as approval voting.

“I will fight to ban stock trading by members of Congress and close lobbyist loopholes. I will fight to reverse Citizens United and get dark money out of politics.”

“My campaign does not take corporate PAC money because I believe elected officials should answer to the people, not corporate special interests.”

Gabe Evans

Enact congressional term limits and voter ID

Evans supports political reforms centered on congressional term limits and voter verification laws. In the House, he voted for legislation mandating proof of citizenship for federal election registration.

• Signed the U.S. Term Limits pledge supporting constitutional limits for elected officials.
• Voted for the SAVE Act (H.R.22) requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register for federal elections.

“I support term limits for both state and federal elected officials.”

Manny Rutinel

Expand veteran healthcare and suicide prevention

Rutinel supports expanding VA healthcare coverage for veterans affected by toxic exposures and increasing community suicide prevention initiatives. In the state house, he cosponsored legislation protecting veterans from financial scams.

• Advocates expanding VA healthcare coverage for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits and radiation.
• Supports expanded community suicide prevention and peer support programs for veterans.
• Cosponsored SB25-282 protecting veterans from predatory claims scams.

“I’ll expand cancer treatment coverage for veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs should issue new rules to expand the types of cancers for which veterans exposed to radiation, burn pits, or water contamination can get treatment.”

Gabe Evans

Focus military strictly on warfighting

As a 12-year Army and National Guard veteran, Evans focuses his defense platform on combat readiness and eliminating politically correct agendas in the armed forces. In Congress, he supported appropriations funding military construction and veterans facilities.

• Served 12 years as a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter pilot and company commander in the Army and National Guard.
• Opposes ideological agendas in the military to maintain core warfighting focus.
• Voted for military construction and veterans appropriations under H.R.5371.

“Ensure our military is focused on warfighting and not politically correct agendas.”

Manny Rutinel

Protect and strengthen Social Security and Medicare

Rutinel promises to block any proposals to reduce Social Security and Medicare benefits or raise the eligibility age. He endorses funding the programs by requiring wealthy individuals to pay higher contributions and opposes cuts to program administrative staff. His campaign highlights an endorsement from former Social Security Commissioner Martin O'Malley.

• Opposes benefit reductions, eligibility age increases, or administrative staff layoffs for Social Security.
• Proposes closing tax loopholes on the wealthy to fund entitlement trust funds.
• Received the official endorsement of former Social Security Administration Commissioner Martin O'Malley.

“Social Security is not a handout. It’s a promise every American pays into so they can retire with dignity, and I will fight to protect and strengthen it so every worker knows the promise they paid into will be there for them.”

“Trump, Gabe Evans, and their billionaire donors plan to lay off half the Social Security workforce and shutter field offices, causing delay, disruption, and denial of earned benefits.”

Manny Rutinel

Protect abortion rights and bodily autonomy

Rutinel supports protecting access to reproductive healthcare and bodily autonomy without government interference. In the state legislature, he cosponsored legislation shielding Colorado healthcare providers from out-of-state abortion prosecutions.

• Cosponsored SB25-129 shielding Colorado abortion providers from out-of-state legal action.
• Opposes political interference in personal medical decisions.

“When it comes to abortion, the government needs to respect Americans’ freedom to make our own decisions about our own families without interference from politicians or anyone else.”