Colorado State Treasurer Dave Young announced Friday that he is ending his bid to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans in the competitive 8th Congressional District, leaving three Democrats running in next year’s primary.

Young, a former state lawmaker from Greeley who faces term limits in his current position, said in a statement that a family member’s “serious health situation” requires his attention, prompting his withdrawal.

“My family must come first, and stepping back from this race to care for my family, as well as continuing to fulfill my duties as state treasurer, is the responsible choice,” Young said.

“I want to express my deepest gratitude to every voter, donor, volunteer, and supporter who believed in this campaign,” he added. “Your encouragement, generosity, and commitment have meant the world to me. We built something meaningful together: a campaign rooted in service, integrity, and the belief that every Coloradan deserves a fair shot.”

Young’s departure narrows the Democratic primary field in the toss-up district to state Reps. Manny Rutinel of Commerce City and Shannon Bird of Westminster, along with Evan Munsing, a Marine veteran and first-time candidate.

The closely divided 8th CD stretches from suburbs north of Denver to Greeley and has been home to some of the closest congressional races in the country since its creation ahead of the 2022 election. Next year’s contest could determine which party wins the majority in the House of Representatives and is expected to be among the cycle’s most expensive.

Evans, who unseated first-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo last year by fewer than 2,500 votes, has landed at or near the top of election analysts’ lists of the most vulnerable House incumbents in the 2026 midterms.

While Young had two successful statewide campaigns under his belt, he struggled to raise money for the congressional race and finished the last quarter with just $61,000 on hand.

That compares with the $1 million reported by Rutinel at the end of the quarter, while Bird reported $560,000 in the bank and Munsing had nearly $175,000 in available funds.

Evans led all Democrats, however, with almost $2 million in cash on hand at the end of the last reporting period.

Young is the third prominent Democrat to exit the 8th CD primary this year, following Caraveo’s decision in September to end her attempt to retake the seat and former state teachers union president Amie Baca-Oehlert’s withdrawal in October.

The Democrats remaining in the race praised Young’s years of public service, which included four terms representing a Weld County legislative seat, later held by his wife, Mary Young, before his two terms as state treasurer.

“Dave Young has dedicated his life to service – from teaching in Greeley schools and serving as a CEA leader, to his time in the state House and on the Joint Budget Committee working to protect healthcare, and now as state treasurer, where he’s spearheaded programs to put money back in Coloradans’ pockets and help young people save for retirement,” Bird said in an emailed statement.

Said Rutinel: “I know he’ll complete his final year as treasurer with the same commitment to Colorado families that has defined his life’s work. My thoughts are with him and his family during this time.”

Munsing struck a similar note, calling Young “a great public servant and a fundamentally good person.”

“The people of Colorado are lucky to have him as their treasurer,” Munsing said in a statement via text message. “I look forward to working together to flip this seat. Also, he still owes me a beer.”

Colorado’s primary election is in June.