Who is running for U.S. House, Colorado District 8 in 2026?
Here are the candidates for U.S. House, Colorado District 8 on the November 3, 2026 ballot. This race is on the ballot for voters in U.S. House District 8.
Positions come only from each candidate's own votes, official actions, statements and questionnaire answers, never from party labels. Every item links to its source.
Side by side
Each candidate's position on the issues this office handles, from their own record. Details and sources are in each profile below.
| Issue | Dave WoodLibertarian | Manny RutinelDemocrat | Gabe EvansRepublican |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income taxes | No public position | Raise taxes on the highest earners and corporations to pay for programsSaid · medium | Cut taxes across the board, including for top earners and corporationsVoted · medium |
| Safety net programs | No public position | No public position | Keep them, but add work requirements for able-bodied adultsVoted · medium |
| Healthcare | No public position | Keep the Affordable Care Act and fix what is brokenSaid · medium | Private insurance with more competition and price transparency, keeping protections for pre-existing conditionsVoted · medium |
| Abortion | No public position | Legal in most cases up to viability (about 24 weeks)Said · low | No public position |
| Immigration | No public position | Secure the border first; deport those with criminal records; keep legal immigration steadySaid · medium | Tighter border security plus a path to legal status for long-time residentsSaid · high |
| Energy and climate | No public position | A gradual shift to cleaner energy, driven by incentivesSaid · medium | All of the above: oil, gas, nuclear and renewables, and let markets pickSaid · medium |
| Politicians trading stocks | No public position | No, ban it for members and their spousesSaid · medium | No, ban it for members and their spousesVoted · medium |
| Campaign finance | No public position | Overturn Citizens United by amendment and add public financing of campaignsSaid · medium | No public position |
| Mandatory minimums | No public position | No public position | Add or lengthen them for serious crimes like fentanyl traffickingVoted · medium |
| Drug prices | No public position | Negotiate more drugs and extend the insulin and yearly cost caps to private insuranceSaid · medium | No public position |
| Transgender athletes | No public position | No public position | No, and Congress should set a biological sex rule nationwideVoted · medium |
Dave Wood
LibertarianFormer musician and computer programmer (Westminster)
Dave Wood is the Libertarian nominee for Colorado's 8th District. He lives in Westminster, is a former musician and computer programmer, challenged the military draft in 1966, served time in jail and was pardoned in 19772.
No public position found on: Income taxes, National debt, Social Security, Safety net programs, Minimum wage, Business regulation, Healthcare, Abortion, Guns, Immigration, Trade and tariffs, Foreign policy, Energy and climate, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Marijuana, Redistricting, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Supreme Court reform, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, Birthright citizenship, E-Verify mandate, Transgender athletes, DEI programs, Religion in schools, Aid to Israel, Aid to Ukraine, China policy.
Manny Rutinel
DemocratColorado state representative, House District 32
Manny Rutinel is the Democratic nominee for Colorado's 8th District. He is an attorney and economist who was appointed to the Colorado House in 2023, won the seat in 2024, and previously worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Earthjustice and a carbon-markets company2.
Where they stand 8 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
Drug pricesNegotiate more drugs and extend the insulin and yearly cost caps to private insurancemedium
Said · medium confidence- His campaign site says to expand Medicare's power to negotiate lower prescription drug prices and cap insulin at $35 a month for every American. (2026) source
Income taxesRaise taxes on the highest earners and corporations to pay for programsmedium
Said · medium confidence- His campaign site says to make billionaires pay what they owe and close tax loopholes for corporations while expanding tax credits for working parents. (2026) source
HealthcareKeep the Affordable Care Act and fix what is brokenmedium
Said · medium confidence- Said he would support bringing back the enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits and reversing the Medicaid cuts in last year's tax and spending package. (2026-09) source
Politicians trading stocksNo, ban it for members and their spousesmedium
Said · medium confidence- Said he will fight every day to ban stock trading by members of Congress. (2026-09) source
Campaign financeOverturn Citizens United by amendment and add public financing of campaignsmedium
Said · medium confidence- Said he will fight to reverse Citizens United and get dark money out of politics. (2026-09) source
ImmigrationSecure the border first; deport those with criminal records; keep legal immigration steadymedium
Said · medium confidence- Said immigration enforcement should focus on deporting violent criminals, gang members and human traffickers and not neighbors who pay taxes, and supports body cameras and judicial warrants for ICE. (2026-09) source
Energy and climateA gradual shift to cleaner energy, driven by incentivesmedium
Said · medium confidence- Said he would support the return of clean energy tax credits that Republicans phased out. (2026-09) source
AbortionLegal in most cases up to viability (about 24 weeks)low
Said · low confidence- His campaign site says the government needs to respect Americans' freedom to make their own decisions about abortion and that politicians have no place in a private medical decision. (2026) source
No public position found on: National debt, Social Security, Safety net programs, Minimum wage, Business regulation, Guns, Trade and tariffs, Foreign policy, Judges, Marijuana, Redistricting, Term limits, Electoral College, Supreme Court reform, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, Birthright citizenship, E-Verify mandate, Transgender athletes, DEI programs, Religion in schools, Aid to Israel, Aid to Ukraine, China policy.
Gabe Evans
Republican · IncumbentU.S. Representative, Colorado District 8
Gabe Evans is the Republican incumbent for Colorado's 8th District. A former Arvada police officer and Army Blackhawk pilot, he served one term in the Colorado House starting in 2023 and won the congressional seat in 2024 by fewer than 2,500 votes16.
Where they stand 10 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
ImmigrationTighter border security plus a path to legal status for long-time residentshigh
Said · high confidence- Cosponsored the DIGNIDAD (Dignity) Act of 2025 (H.R. 4393, 119th Congress). (2025-07-15) source
- Voted for the Secure America Act, which provides about $70 billion for immigration enforcement and border security through 2029. (2026-06-09) source
- Said his position is "Secure the border, get the bad guys out, help the good guys," and pointed to the Dignity Act and a letter urging the administration to prioritize people with criminal records. (2026-09) source
Transgender athletesNo, and Congress should set a biological sex rule nationwidemedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted for the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, a federal rule basing girls' and women's school sports eligibility on sex at birth. (2025-01-14) source
Mandatory minimumsAdd or lengthen them for serious crimes like fentanyl traffickingmedium
Income taxesCut taxes across the board, including for top earners and corporationsmedium
Safety net programsKeep them, but add work requirements for able-bodied adultsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which added work requirements for able-bodied adults on Medicaid and expanded SNAP work requirements. (2025-07-03) source
HealthcarePrivate insurance with more competition and price transparency, keeping protections for pre-existing conditionsmedium
Voted · medium confidencePoliticians trading stocksNo, ban it for members and their spousesmedium
Energy and climateAll of the above: oil, gas, nuclear and renewables, and let markets pickmedium
Said · medium confidence- Said he supports "all of the above" energy and introduced a bipartisan bill so federal permits for oil, gas, wind or solar projects cannot be pulled for political reasons. (2026-09) source
- His official site says he supports oil, gas, nuclear, renewables and new technologies in a safe, reliable energy policy. (2026) source
Aid to UkraineNo single answer fitslow
Voted · low confidence- Voted against the Ukraine Support Act, which provides military aid to Ukraine and new sanctions on Russia. (2026-06-04) source
GunsNo single answer fitslow
Official action · low confidence- Cosponsored the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025 (H.R. 38, 119th Congress). (2025-01-09) source
No public position found on: National debt, Social Security, Minimum wage, Business regulation, Abortion, Trade and tariffs, Foreign policy, Judges, Marijuana, Redistricting, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Supreme Court reform, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, Birthright citizenship, E-Verify mandate, DEI programs, Religion in schools, Aid to Israel, China policy.
Last reviewed 2026-10-06. Spotted something wrong? Every claim links to its source so you can check it yourself.