State Rep. Manny Rutinel on Monday announced his candidate for the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans in Colorado’s swingy 8th Congressional District, a nearly evenly divided seat decided by some of the narrowest margins in the country in the last two elections.

The son of an immigrant single mother from the Dominican Republic, the 30-year-old Commerce City Democrat is serving his first full term representing Adams County’s House District 32 after winning a vacancy election in the district in late 2023.

“I have seen firsthand how rising housing and health care costs, along with limited job opportunities, are hurting our community,” said Rutinel, a former environmental attorney and co-founder of a public benefit corporation, in a statement. “Together, we can address the pressing issues facing our district and ensure a prosperous future for all residents.”

Noting that he worked at McDonald’s through high school and routinely gave blood at a plasma center to help his family get by, Rutinel said he understands “what it’s like to struggle to pay for groceries, housing and healthcare.”

“That’s why I’m running for Congress — to fight for families like mine and make sure the hardworking members of our community don’t have to struggle to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads,” Rutinel said.

Evans, a former one-term state lawmaker, Army veteran and retired police officer whose family operates a farm in the district, defeated Democratic U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo in November with a winning margin of roughly three-quarters of a percentage point, in the most expensive congressional race in state history.

Two years earlier, Caraveo, a Thornton pediatrician and former state lawmaker, won the newly created district by a similarly tight margin. Caraveo hasn’t said whether she plans to run again for the seat next year.

A handful of other Democrats have indicated interest in the race, which would likely again be among a small number of toss-up contests that could determine which party controls the closely divided House. Among the potential candidates are term-limited State Treasurer Dave Young; state Sen. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City, who held Rutinel’s House seat before her appointment to the state Senate; and, Adams County Commissioner Steve O’Dorisio.

Drawn after the 2020 census, the district covers parts of Adams, Weld and Larimer counties, stretching from suburbs north of Denver to Greeley. The district has the state’s largest share of Hispanic and Latino residents, making up nearly 40% of its population.

“This district is a reflection of everything that makes Colorado extraordinary: its diversity, its resilience, and its hardworking people,” Rutinel said. “But we’re under attack. Some politicians in Congress are scheming to slash Social Security and Medicare while hiking prices on groceries and other essential goods. I’ll fight tooth and nail to stop these reckless attacks and ensure working families get the support they deserve.”

In his announcement, Rutinel unveiled endorsements from 20 current and former state lawmakers, including House Speaker Pro-Tem Andrew Boesenecker, D-Fort Collins; House Democratic Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Junie Joseph, D-Boulder; and, Assistant House Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver.

Rutinel’s campaign treasurer, former state House Speaker Pro-Tem Adrienne Benavidez, D-Commerce City, said in a statement that Rutinel “shows up for our community.”

“He champions legislation that cuts costs to help us sustain our families, and protects our health by fighting for clean air and water, as well as the protection of our lands,” Benavidez said. “His passion and dedication make him exactly the leader we need in Congress.”

A graduate of Yale Law School, Rutinel also holds a master’s in applied economics from Johns Hopkins University and undergraduate degrees in economics and microbiology from the University of Florida. After working as an attorney for environmental group Earthjustice’s Sustainable Food and Farming Program, Rutinel co-founded and serves as CEO of Climate Refarm, a public benefit corporation that works to encourage farmers to transition to a plant-based food system. He worked as an economist for the U.S Army Corps of Engineers and was among the first responders in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.

An Evans spokeswoman told Colorado Politics that Rutinel will be faced with the prospect of running to fix problems he helped create with the state’s ruling Democrats.

“While Democrats battle it out to see who can go the furthest to the left in this primary, Congressman Gabe Evans is working hard to fix Colorado’s crime, immigration, and energy crises that Manny and his liberal friends created,” Delanie Bomar said in an email.

Will Kiley, the National Republican Congressional Committee’s communications director, struck a similar note in an email to Colorado Politics.

“Congressman Gabe Evans is hard at work fighting to improve the quality of life for Colorado families,” Kiley said. “Radical Manny Rutinel’s left-wing agenda is out of touch with Colorado and he’s in way over his head. Gabe Evans is the real leader this district needs to fight the crises that Manny and his extremist allies in Denver created.”