WESTMINSTER, Colorado–A young firebrand progressive has nudged past a moderate state lawmaker to win their June 30 Colorado Democratic congressional primary and will challenge an incumbent Republican this fall in one of the nation’s most tightly contested congressional districts.
State Rep. Manny Rutinel of Commerce City defeated former state Rep. Shannon Bird of Westminster in their Democratic Congressional District 8 (CD 8) primary and will face first-term U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans (R-Colo.) in November’s general election.
Rutinel, 31, amassed 38,599 votes, or 60.6 percent of the tally, when the AP called the race at 7:40 p.m. local time to win the party nod against Bird, 57, who had netted 22,022 votes, or 34.6 percent. Rutinel will take on Evans, who did not have a primary challenger in CD 8, one of the nation’s most purple House districts….