Democratic congressional candidate Manny Rutinel raised more than $500,000 in the 48 hours after he launched his bid to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans in Colorado’s battleground 8th Congressional District, the state lawmaker’s campaign said.

The total includes roughly $400,000 the 30-year-old Commerce City Democrat raised from more than 4,000 unique donors within the first 24 hours of announcing his run on Monday.

Evans, an Army veteran, retired police officer and former state legislator from Fort Lupton, unseated first-term U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo by just under 2,500 votes, making for the second consecutive election the closely divided seat was decided by a margin of less than 1 percentage point.

The Northern Front Range district, created after the 2020 census, covers parts of Adams, Weld and Larimer counties, hugging U.S. 85 from suburbs north of Denver to Greeley.

The sums reported by Ritual’s campaign dwarf early fundraising totals posted by previous newly minted congressional candidates in Colorado. By comparison, it took Evans more than six months to bring in $500,000 in contributions after he declared his candidacy.

Caraveo and Evans each raised just over $100,000 in the first quarter after launching their campaigns for the seat in late 2021 and 2023, respectively.

The son of an immigrant single mother from the Dominican Republic, Rutinel is a graduate of Yale Law School and holds a master’s degree in economics from Johns Hopkins University. After working as an economist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Puerto Rico during the response to Hurricane Maria, Rutinel worked as an environmental attorney for Earthjustice’s Sustainable Food and Farming Program before starting a public benefit company devoted to encouraging a plant-based food system.

Rutinel said in a statement that the rapid fundraising response was “proof that people are ready to build an economy that works for everyone,” adding, “This incredible support sends a clear message: we need to lower costs for hardworking families, create more good paying jobs, and defend the rights of all Coloradans.”

A spokeswoman for Evans’ campaign didn’t respond to a request for comment, but political insiders note that even an overwhelming campaign cash advantage didn’t propel Caraveo to reelection.

In last year’s cycle, Caraveo outraised Evans by about three times, reporting $8.1 million in contributions to the Republican’s nearly $2.7 million. Including massive outside spending on both sides, the congressional race shattered state records, costing at least $30 million.

But Rutinel’s show of strength out of the gate could discourage at least some other potential Democratic candidates from joining what’s still likely to be a crowded primary.

Caraveo has yet to say whether she plans to run for her old seat. Other Democrats who might run include term-limited State Treasurer Dave Young, state Sen. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City, and Adams County Commissioner Steve O’Dorisio. Michaelson Jenet occupied the House District 32 seat held by Rutinel before her appointment to a fill a state Senate vacancy and his appointment to replace her in the lower chamber.