Evan Munsing is suspending his campaign for the Democratic nomination in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District, his team announced Wednesday.
Why it matters: His departure turns one of the state’s most competitive races into a two-person contest between former state Rep. Shannon Bird and state Rep. Manny Rutinel, the party’s two top fundraisers.
State of play: Munsing, a U.S. Marine combat veteran, petitioned onto the primary ballot, but struggled to match his Democratic opponents’ fundraising totals.
- Throughout his campaign, he said he sought to challenge a political system that benefits “political elites.”
- In a statement Wednesday, Munsing said that same group picked its preferred candidates and flooded “our TV screens” with dark money ads.
- He also said his opponents refused to debate him publicly.
Context: Democrats are targeting the 8th Congressional seat, which stretches from Denver’s northern suburbs to Greeley, as they try to unseat U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans and chip away at the GOP’s narrow House majority…