Advertisements and voter outreach efforts continue to ramp up ahead of next month’s primary election, as candidates statewide are working to reach as many voters as they can — particularly young voters, who have become an increasingly influential bloc in both national and Colorado politics.
“My campaign is meeting young voters where they are, in person and online,” said state Rep. Manny Rutinel (D-Commerce City), one of two Democrats currently running to replace Rep. Gabe Evans (R-CO), in a written response to questions about how his campaign is reaching out to young people. “Swing voters, especially young voters, get their news from Instagram and TikTok, so I’ve worked to build a following there and reached over 80 million views on social media not including any paid advertising.”
Both of the remaining candidates vying for the Democratic nomination in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District, former state Rep. Shannon Bird (D-Westminster) and Rutinel, spoke about the variety of platforms and engagement methods their campaigns have used to reach young voters when asked by the Colorado Times Recorder, but local organizers say that more is needed to secure the support of young Coloradans than just a strong digital presence.
“Social media is a great way to try to reach voters and try to reach the youth — I mean, every single person that I know is on social media one way or another — however, it’s not enough,” said Maryann Avila, New Era’s lead organizer in northern Colorado, and a recent CU graduate who grew up in Greeley. “Social media is a great start, but politicians might need to start doing other work that’s not just behind a screen.”
New Era is a youth civic engagement organization that has worked to boost turnout and advocate for young people across Colorado since its founding in 2006. The organization has been active in the district since 2024, when Evans defeated then-incumbent Democrat Yadiro Caraveo by just 2,449 votes, and has continued its work in the lead-up to the 2026 midterms.
Most of New Era’s efforts are focused on registering new voters and reaching out to low-propensity voters who may not ordinarily turn out for midterm or downballot races. With political analysts predicting a similarly tight race for this year’s general election, whether a candidate can win support from the more than 50,000 voters ages 18 to 24 in the district could make or break a campaign.
The conversations New Era volunteers have had while door-knocking or tabling at college campuses and community events have given organizers like Avila insight into what young voters are looking for when choosing a candidate.
“I have seen that students aren’t really talking to me about their political affiliations. They’re mainly talking to me about issues that they’re worried about, issues that affect them every day,” said Avila. “A lot of the things we’re talking about are just like the cost of living, right? How can we stretch our dollars?”
Another observation from their work has been that, while good branding and digital presence is a plus, young people are most motivated by politicians who speak to the issues that matter to them and show that they will put in the work to make change happen.
“The issues that young people need action on and are looking for a representative to take action on — and it’s quite sad — are just the bare minimum that allows them to move out of survival mode: lowering healthcare costs, having more housing options that are affordable, preventing price gouging, making childcare easier and more affordable,” said Chelsea Castellano, New Era’s political director. “The biggest difference between young people and the rest of the population is that young people face the challenges in deeper, more acute ways. Housing is unaffordable for everyone, but for young people, it’s farther out of reach than ever before.”
As young people become increasingly pessimistic about the health of the American political process, Castellano says young voters are looking for “someone who comes forward and who can clearly communicate that those are the issues that they’re going to make progress on, and [that they] have a plan to make progress on those issues.”
“I think when a candidate can come forward and do that, and resonate in a way that feels real, and like they’re actually gonna spend every day and night fighting for them, then that’s what will change young people’s sentiments about voting and participating in a democratic process that works for them,” said Castellano.
Bird, who has had a smaller social media presence than Rutinel throughout her primary campaign, is confident that her focus on issues that directly affect young people will win her their support in the upcoming primary and through November.
“People are looking for somebody who’s shown up in the community, has a track record of delivering real results, and someone who’s authentically caring about and working on their issues,” said Bird during an interview with CTR. “I think what we are hearing loud and clear is that people want a representative in this district who stands up for labor and who is labor endorsed.”
In Rutinel’s response to CTR’s questions, while discussing his digital footprint, he also emphasized his in-person outreach efforts, which have included more than 1,000 volunteers phone-banking and door-knocking on his behalf. He also noted his age, 31, and unique position as one of the few renters in the state legislature as an experience that gives him insight into the struggles young people face.
“Representation matters. Young voters don’t always see people who look like them in Congress, and I hope I can help change that,” said Rutinel. “Democrats need to win back young people, and that starts by nominating the people who best understand their struggles and dreams.”
