Bermúdez: Shared ethnicity isn’t a platform for Hispanic voters in CD-8

By Alejandro Bermúdez | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice

For Hispanic voters in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District, the district with the largest Hispanic population in the state, voting for Manny Rutinel, the Democrat challenger to Republican incumbent Gabe Evans, should theoretically be a no-brainer. After all, isn’t he “one of us,” someone who understands Hispanic families and will defend their interests?

Not so fast.

Tonty Enmanuel “Manny” Rutinel, a former Colorado state representative, lists ten priorities on his campaign website, ranging from lowering costs and protecting Social Security to fighting corruption and opposing President Trump’s immigration policies.

Curiously, none of these ten priorities specifically addresses K–12 education or parental rights.

And that omission is no small matter.

Colorado’s public schools, particularly in working-class communities, face serious challenges. Academic performance, educational quality and increasingly divisive ideological controversies have left many parents frustrated. Schools that should be working alongside families have become battlegrounds over who ultimately gets to make decisions about children’s education.

For Hispanic families, whose close-knit family relationships are often central to their identity, the systematic erosion of parental authority is especially troubling.

What makes Rutinel’s silence particularly ironic is that his own success was built on the opportunities education provided him.

His mother, a Dominican immigrant, returned to the United States when Manny was seven, determined to give her children opportunities unavailable in her native country. Rutinel eventually graduated from the University of Florida, Johns Hopkins University and Yale Law School.

In other words, he personally benefited from the educational opportunities that countless hardworking Hispanic parents want for their own children.

Yet his campaign offers no comparable commitment to restoring parental authority or giving families greater control over their children’s education. He does mention vocational training and modernizing school buildings, but neither addresses the fundamental concerns of parents who believe schools are failing their children academically and increasingly disregarding their values.

For Hispanic families working long hours in northern Colorado’s agriculture, meatpacking and energy industries, education is supposed to be their children’s ticket to the American Dream. But that dream becomes increasingly elusive when schools fail to deliver quality education or respect the families they serve.

Enter Gabe Evans.

The Republican congressman, a former Army officer and law enforcement professional, also has Hispanic roots. His grandfather was a Mexican immigrant and World War II veteran, and Evans proudly recalls the influence of his Mexican grandmother.

But unlike Rutinel, Evans explicitly places education among his four principal campaign priorities.

Having experienced both public education and homeschooling, Evans strongly advocates school choice, not as an attack on public schools, but as a recognition that parents, not bureaucrats, should have the final say over their children’s education.

“Educational freedom means families can choose the education that works best for them,” his campaign website explains.

That commitment becomes particularly relevant with the new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program, scheduled to begin in 2027, which could significantly expand educational opportunities through privately funded scholarships. Colorado Governor Jared Polis has already opted the state into the program.

For Hispanic parents increasingly frustrated by the condition of public education, having a congressional representative who understands and supports educational freedom matters enormously.

Ultimately, Hispanic voters in the 8th District need more than a candidate who shares their ethnic background. They need someone who understands their priorities, respects their families and will fight to give their children the opportunities they deserve.

And on education, Gabe Evans offers something Manny Rutinel conspicuously does not: a clear commitment to parental choice.

For many Hispanic families, that may be reason enough to vote for Evans.

Alejandro Bermúdez is a veteran journalist with more than four decades of experience in international news, digital media, TV and commentary. He was the founding executive director of Catholic News Agency and has written for major English-language publications including The New York Times, the National Catholic Register and Our Sunday Visitor. Born in Lima, Peru, and now based in Denver, Colorado, he writes on culture, politics, religion and the ethical implications of artificial intelligence.

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.