With millions of dollars pouring into Colorado’s 8th Congressional District race, conservative and liberal groups are knocking on thousands of doors to reach voters.

Angeline McCall

6:28 PM MDT October 22, 2026

COMMERCE CITY, Colorado — In Colorado’s most competitive congressional district, the battle for votes is playing out one doorstep at a time. With Republican U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans fighting to keep his seat against Democratic challenger Manny Rutinel, political organizations on both sides are canvassing neighborhoods, hoping to sway undecided voters in a race that was decided by less than 1 percentage point two years ago.

More than $18 million in super PAC spending has flowed into the district, making it Colorado’s most expensive congressional race. Evans has benefited from spending by a Trump-backed super PAC and Elon Musk, while Rutinel has received support from a cryptocurrency billionaire and technology leaders.

But beyond the millions spent on political advertising, canvassers are finding that face-to-face conversations still matter.

Conservatives make their case for Gabe Evans

Angel Merlos, an adviser with The LIBRE Initiative Action, has been knocking on doors to encourage support for Evans.

“It’s important to have those conversations with voters because it’s the best way to have that human interaction,” Merlos said.

His approach centers on connecting voters’ concerns with Evans’ legislative record. During his conversations, Merlos also reinforced the different bills Evans has sponsored like the Working Families Tax Cut and the SPEAK Act, citing Evans as one of the most active freshman congressmen in the country due to his 29 bills that he has been a primary sponsor on. 

“We’ve been around even before the district,” Merlos said. “We’ve always been doing this, because I think it’s important to connect people to the policies, and if you connect people to the policies, then this will help them understand who they should vote for and who aligns more with their values.” 

The Libre Initiative has knocked more than 30,000 doors so far. 

“I think for us one of the, what I see myself doing is really trying to encourage people that their voice is important and that it matters.” Merlos said.

For Martina Martinez, that conversation reinforced a decision she had already made.

Martinez said she voted for Evans in the previous election and plans to support him again. As a licensed Colorado teacher, she identified education as one of her biggest concerns, along with taxes and affordability.

“We are a single income family, and so it’s hard to even just buy groceries from time to time,” Martinez said.

Democrats work to flip a narrowly divided district

On the other side of the race, Trust Brigade, a political action committee funded by liberal donors, is canvassing for Rutinel.

Jarrek Holmes, the organization’s founder and executive director, said the group has attempted to contact more than 30,000 voters. 

“We’re focusing on Congressional District 8 because it is the most competitive swing district in the state of Colorado,” Holmes said. “It’s a different election cycle than normal, and people who never would have engaged with the election process are doing so now because of how important it is and because of how unusual the Donald Trump presidency has been.”

Unlike The Libre Initiative Action as a national organization, Trust Brigade only operates in the 8th Congressional District. 

Jonathan Angel Ponder, Trust Brigade’s director of organizing, said the group’s approach involves longer conversations about voters’ concerns rather than simply delivering campaign talking points.

Among the voters he encountered was Freddie Lopez, who expressed frustration with both political parties.

“I am frustrated with the Democrat Party, but what is happening on the Republican side, it’s something we’ve never seen,” Lopez said. “I’m not happy with what is happening.” 

Lopez said affordability remains a central concern.

“I think, of course, the cost of living is the big one. Grocery prices, fuel prices and just like, rent,” he said.

He did not vote for Evans in the last election and plans to vote for Rutinel when filling out his ballot this year. 

Affordability unites voters across party lines

Despite their different political leanings, voters approached by both organizations repeatedly identified rising living expenses as a concern.

Another voter, 23-year-old Joe Diaz, was less certain about participating in the election. Diaz told Ponder he sometimes skips voting, although his parents regularly participate. He described how rising gas prices have affected his family.

“Everybody is struggling just because of the gas,” Diaz said.

After a lengthy conversation with Ponder, Diaz remained undecided between Evans and Rutinel.

“I would probably have to do more research,” he said.

Both canvassing groups agreed that affordability topics were often the first issue that came to mind for voters. 

Latino voters could help determine the outcome

Both organizations are also focusing on Latino voters, who make up approximately 40% of the district’s population. In The Libre Action Initiative’s efforts, they only target Latino and Hispanic voters while canvassing in CD8.

“I think with the Hispanics being nearly 25% of the population, you have to take us into consideration,” Merlos said. “Especially if you want to have any chance at capturing the voters and having a winning election.” 

Exit polls found that President Donald Trump captured around 48% of the Latino vote in the last election. While some political scientists believe that was a “realignment” within the Latino voter base, others say they think some Latino voters do not have long-term partisan ties and may act more like “swing voters” as they cast ballots with economic issues and other issues of the day. 

“I definitely think we’re going to see a swing to the left from the Latino vote this cycle,” Holmes said.

Ponder said having Latino canvassers can help establish trust with voters who recognize shared backgrounds and experiences. Both groups also have materials in both English and Spanish. 

“We’re really trying to actually connect with them,” Ponder said. “And I think that goes beyond just the Latino community.”

For canvassers on both sides, those undecided voters represent opportunities in a district where the previous election was decided by fewer than 2,500 votes.

And with Election Day approaching, both organizations are continuing their efforts to reach voters, one door at a time.