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Amie Baca-Oehlert, a former president of the state’s largest teachers union, has ended her campaign for Colorado’s 8th Congressional District, narrowing the crowded Democratic field for the hyper-competitive seat to four. Baca-Oehlert announced she was ending her campaign for the nomination to take on U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans on Friday. “Running for Congress demands an astronomical amount of resources, and the influence of money and special interests casts a long shadow over the entire process,” she said in a statement on social media. “It’s a system that, frankly, is rigged against working-class people. … We regret not being able to continue to provide that real alternative for Democrats this election cycle.” Baca-Oehlert had lagged behind other Democrats’ fundraising. She reported raising about $130,000 through the end of September. State Rep. Manny Rutinel led the remaining Democratic candidates, with $2.1 million raised. State Rep. Shannon Bird had raised about $833,000, Marine Corps veteran Evan Munsing was at about $261,000 and state Treasurer Dave Young was at $164,000. The winner of the June Democratic primary will face Evans in the November general election. Evans, a Republican, hopes to be the first incumbent to win reelection in the highly competitive district, which was created after the 2020 census. The 8th Congressional District stretches from the north Denver suburbs up to Greeley. Evans has raised about $2.3 million for his reelection bid. Stay up-to-date with Colorado Politics by signing up for our weekly newsletter, The Spot.
