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Newsletter — Issue 7 — May 7, 2026
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This newsletter has been published by Engage Colorado.
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The Case for Shannon Bird in CO-8 Democratic Primary
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CO-8 is one of Colorado's tightest federal races — and the choice between a centrist Democrat and a far-left Democrat will signal whether Colorado continues drifting from the center or is returning to pragmatic leadership. The Democratic primary between Shannon Bird and Manny Rutinel is a very close race. The winner will face Republican Gabe Evans in a general election that will itself be closely contested. Whether you plan to vote Democrat or Republican in November, in the Democratic primary, the centrists' candidate is Shannon Bird. Colorado's open primary system lets unaffiliated voters cast a Democratic ballot — and this is the year to use it.
The Open Letter, Ensuring Colorado's Innovation Future, argued that Colorado must reclaim its place as "the premier technology and innovation ecosystem between the coasts" — and that elected leaders at every level have a role in making that happen. The Colorado AI Act, SB24-205, and the xAI lawsuit it triggered are the most visible test of that argument today. The CO-8 Democratic primary is one of several elections this year where the same question reaches the ballot box. The case for Shannon Bird, however, extends well beyond AI. Her overall record — across the economic, social, and regulatory questions that define this moment — is the record of a centrist. For voters who want centrist leadership in CO-8, she is by a wide margin the better choice.
Recent polling — a memo released by the Bird campaign in late April — shows Shannon Bird slightly ahead of Manny Rutinel, with both candidates well within the survey's 4.9% margin of error and 45% of voters still undecided. Rutinel has out-raised Bird through Q1 and prediction markets currently favor him — which is exactly why centrist engagement matters now, before this race is decided by money rather than by voters. It is a true toss-up at the ballot, and that is why I am writing now. The race is close enough that engagement from the centrist community can swing it, and the rest of this newsletter lays out why that engagement is worth your consideration.
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Shannon Bird — YES
Former State Representative · Centrist Record · Pro-Business · Constructive on AI
Shannon's case for CO-8 is built on a centrist record across the issues. In the Colorado legislature, she has consistently worked across the aisle, engaged with the business community as a partner rather than an adversary, and broken with her own party when she believed the policy was wrong — including voting against SB24-205, the AI Act now drawing the xAI lawsuit. Her record is the record of a legislator who chooses pragmatism over signaling — and that is the kind of leadership the 8th District needs in Washington.
Two examples make the record concrete. Shannon was one of the few Democratic legislators who voted against SB24-205, recognizing the structural defects in the bill that the xAI lawsuit has now confirmed. On immigration, she voted no on HB23-1100, which would have blocked state and local governments from contracting with ICE on detention, and on SB25-276, a 2025 follow-on co-sponsored by Rutinel himself to further restrict state and local cooperation with ICE. She was the only Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee to vote against SB25-276. These are the same votes Manny's campaign is now using to attack her — and the same votes that earn her credibility with centrists who want existing immigration law enforced before further state expansion. The pattern across her record is consistent: she has chosen the right policy over party signaling.
Visit shannonbird.com →
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Manny Rutinel — NO
State Representative · Champion of SB24-205
Colorado's tech ecosystem is one of the engines of the state's prosperity — funding our schools, expanding our tax base, creating jobs at every skill level, and keeping every other industry in the state competitive. The Open Letter, Ensuring Colorado's Innovation Future, made this case to all five named recipients: Colorado's tech ecosystem benefits every Coloradan, and protecting it is the responsibility of every elected leader.
Manny is a case study in what happens when that responsibility is rejected.
His framing of the issue, in his own words:
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"Coloradans deserve technology that works for everyone, not just billionaires."
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This is the rhetoric of a career politician who treats the innovation economy as the enemy rather than a valued partner. These are the words that lead investors to say — in Seth Levine's words, in a recent issue of this newsletter — "don't show me any company in Colorado." This is the ignorance that underappreciates the founders, operators, engineers, and investors at every level who are advancing Colorado's economy through hard work and innovation.
Manny's record matches his rhetoric. He has been one of the most vocal champions of SB24-205, the same legislation now drawing the xAI lawsuit and a national reputation that has moved Colorado from one of the country's most respected tech ecosystems to a geography to be avoided. He is not running to revisit that work. He has already sponsored additional AI legislation in 2025 — HB25-1212, the AI worker whistleblower bill — which Governor Polis's own administration has opposed on the grounds that it will "incentivize companies to move AI development and highly paid workers outside of Colorado." He intends to take that posture to Washington.
His campaign's recent attack ads against Bird — focused on her "no" votes on partisan Democratic immigration bills — confirm the broader pattern. Manny aligns with the extreme of his party. Shannon does not.
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For voters who understand that Colorado's tech ecosystem is the foundation of Colorado's prosperity — and for voters seeking centrist representation in CO-8 — Shannon Bird is the choice.
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What You Can Do
This race is important. The cost of losing it is high.
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Tell your network
Every Coloradan with a stake in the state's prosperity — founders, investors, operators, and centrist voters of any party — should be paying attention to this race.
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What Engage Colorado Stands For
Engage Colorado stands for what is best for all Coloradans over the long term — a Colorado that leads the country in opportunity and innovation, governed from the center rather than the divisive extremes of either national party. That mission includes weighing in on consequential elections and policy decisions. The Governor's and Attorney General's primaries are both on our radar.
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