Colorado Democratic Party Cancels Obama Dinner in Denver

Organizers canceled the Democratic primary debate for Colorado’s 8th Congressional District on May 12, 2026, after candidate Shannon Bird withdrew from the event.

Bird, a former state representative, decided against attending the debate because her primary rival, state Rep. Manny Rutinel, was not going to be present. Bird’s campaign manager, Eve Zhurbinskiy, stated in a text message that the campaign had been excited to participate in the debate with all of the candidates.

The withdrawal left Evan Munsing as the only Democratic candidate still planning to take the stage. Munsing is a finance executive and Marine veteran running for the seat for the first time.

Three Democrats are currently seeking the nomination in the 8th Congressional District. The primary election is scheduled for June 30, 2026.

The winner of the Democratic primary will face first-term Republican U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans in the general election. Evans is currently unopposed in the Republican primary. The race in the 8th Congressional District is considered a toss-up and is expected to be one of the most competitive U.S. House races in the country.

Debate Logistics and Coordination

The canceled debate was scheduled to take place on May 20, 2026, in Fort Lupton, located in Weld County. Organizers had planned to stream the event across various social media platforms.

The event was sponsored by the Common Sense Institute, the Denver Gazette, and Colorado Politics.

Both Munsing and Bird had confirmed their participation in the debate in early March 2026. However, Rutinel and his campaign did not respond to repeated invitations from the organizers.