Rutinel and Bird take a negative race face-to-face
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Manny Rutinel, left, and Shannon Bird, middle, debate at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley on Thursday. Photo: John Frank/Axios
In the first major debate in Colorado's 8th Congressional District on Thursday, the two Democrats vying for the nomination traded repeated salvos about each other's record on immigration.
Why it matters: Democrats' choice will be critical to whether the party can oust incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans and retake one of the nation's most competitive political prizes in November.
State of play: State Rep. Manny Rutinel, 31, took the first shot in his opening remarks, attacking his rival Shannon Bird, 57, for a 2025 legislative vote "to allow police to cooperate with ICE and allow ICE to raid our schools and hospitals."
- Bird, a former state lawmaker from Westminster who resigned to run for Congress, countered, noting that the legislation did not allow federal immigration authorities to make arrests in schools or other sensitive areas.
- She said she opposed the bill draft because it would fine local government and agency employees up to $50,000 for sharing information with federal immigration authorities.
The intrigue: Rutinel repeated the claim two more times, prompting Bird to retort: "Continuing to say the same things doesn't make it true."
The big picture: The tense back-and-forth at the Greeley debate, hosted by the Colorado Sun, allowed candidates to confront each other face-to-face after spending big money in recent weeks on negative television advertising.
- The debate took on a new urgency after rival Evan Munsing suspended his campaign a day earlier.
The other side: Bird also attacked Rutinel for supporting this year's state budget, which included millions in Medicaid cuts.
"We know that over half of the kids in Colorado's 8th [District] depend upon Medicaid to go and see the doctor. These are not theoretical tests; they're not theoretical impacts. They deserve better," she said.
- The former budget writer said she would have used additional reserve funds to avoid Medicaid cuts for at least one more year.
- Rutinel argued his vote "saved" Medicaid funding from bigger cuts given the looming $1.5 billion budget shortfall.
Zoom in: A moment later, Rutinel said that Bird's resignation ahead of the session failed her constituents, who needed her to fight against the Trump administration. "She quit the legislature when her constituents needed her the most," he said.
- Bird responded that Rutinel is getting taxpayers to pay his salary and benefits even as he runs for a different office. "It's Manny Rutinel trying to distract from a record that he can't defend."
What we're watching: Negative campaigning is unlikely to end anytime soon, whether on TV or in person.