Democratic state Rep. Shannon Bird announces 8th District run

• Amie Baca-Oehlert, a Democrat and former president of the state's largest teachers union, is also considering a run.

Why it matters: Multiple candidates emerging in a single race shows Democrats see a viable path toward flipping the seat — albeit in the most competitive district in Colorado — during a crucial midterm election.

State of play: Bird served in the state legislature since 2019, where she emerged as a moderate, joining the Colorado Opportunity Caucus this year to push policies focused on affordability and crime.

• Bird said she couldn't sit back while President Trump continued making policy decisions, with Evans' support, that affect working-class families, criticizing the congressman's recent vote to reduce Medicaid spending.

Between the lines: A law encouraging more condominium construction and increased spending for Colorado's 178 school districts were among her top legislative accomplishments last session, Bird tells us.

What they're saying: Trump's administration makes it harder for working-class families to have a "fair shot," at the American Dream, Bird tells us — a shot she says that allowed her mother and grandmother to raise her.

• Originally from Reno, Nevada, Bird has lived in the 8th District for roughly 40 years.

What we're watching: How candidates fare in the latest round of campaign fundraising.