Gabe Evans has spent two years in Congress casting votes that directly impacted Colorado families’ health insurance bills. Premiums went up, and more families lost coverage. That didn’t happen by accident — Evans’ votes made it happen. This page examines Gabe Evans’s record on health care costs compared to State Rep. Manny Rutinel’s record on affordability in the Colorado legislature, and links each claim to the reporting or public record behind it.
Colorado votes by mail — ballots go out starting October 2 and must be received (not just postmarked) by 7 p.m. on Election Day. Prefer to vote in person? Voter Service and Polling Centers open October 19, and if you’re in line by 7 p.m. on Election Day, you can still vote. Colorado has no registration deadline — you can register up to and including Election Day.
Why Did Health Premiums Double for 225,000 Coloradans?
Colorado’s Division of Insurance says premiums on the individual marketplace rose by an average of 101% in 2026 — more than double — for the roughly 225,000 Coloradans who relied on enhanced federal tax credits. The state concludes that this was a direct result of Congress’s failure to extend those credits before they expired last year. Our congressman, Gabe Evans, had the chance to extend them in January but he voted no.
Gabe Evans Voted for the Largest Medicaid Cut in History
One in four people in Evans’s district — about 192,000 Coloradans, including nearly 10,000 with disabilities requiring long-term care — rely on Medicaid. On July 3, 2025, Evans voted yes on H.R. 1, which the Congressional Budget Office says cuts federal Medicaid spending by roughly $1 trillion over 10 years. A Public Citizen analysis found nine Colorado hospitals at risk of service cuts or closure; a KFF analysis estimated 150,000 Coloradans could lose health insurance because of the Medicaid changes.
“We’re Not Cutting Medicaid,” Gabe Evans Says. What Does the Record Show?
The day before the House voted on H.R. 1, Rep. Greg Casar confronted Evans in the Capitol holding a constituent’s letter about Medicaid. Evans said, “We’re not cutting Medicaid,” and then voted for the bill the next day.
Manny Rutinel’s Record on Affordability
Manny Rutinel is the son of a single mother who immigrated from the Dominican Republic. He worked as an economist for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and as an attorney holding corporations accountable for breaking the law. He has served as a Colorado state representative, working on legislation expanding access to health care, housing, and poverty-reducing tax credits.
