State Rep. Shannon Bird, a Westminster Democrat, said Sunday that she plans to resign from the Colorado legislature next month in order to focus on running for the 8th Congressional District seat held by Republican U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans.

Bird is one of four Democrats — two of whom are state lawmakers — seeking the nomination in the competitive district, which has featured some of the closest and most expensive congressional races in the country in the two elections since its creation.

Bird said in a statement that her resignation will take effect Jan. 5, a little over a week before the General Assembly convenes next year’s 120-day regular session.

“Now, Colorado is facing rising headwinds from Washington, with Trump’s tariffs driving up the cost of everything, healthcare and food assistance being ripped away by Gabe Evans and his GOP colleagues, and our democratic values under assault,” Bird said in a statement. “The best way to protect my constituents from these threats and to lower costs is to do everything in my power to unseat Trump lackey Gabe Evans in the nation’s most competitive congressional seat.”

Added Bird: “With the upcoming legislative session beginning on Jan. 14, the people of House District 29 deserve a representative who will be fully focused on legislative matters — and the voters of the 8th Congressional District deserve a candidate who is able to put in the 70+ hours a week of work that it will take to flip this seat from red to blue.”

Covering parts of Adams, Larimer and Weld counties north of the Denver metro area, the 8th CD is considered a toss-up next year by election forecasters and has been targeted by both major parties.

Under Colorado law, a Democratic vacancy committee will fill the legislative seat for the remainder of Bird’s term, which ends in early 2027.

The lone announced candidate in House District 29, Democrat Lori Goldstein — Adams 12 Board of Education president and a former chair of the Adams County Democratic Party — told Colorado Politics she plans to seek the vacancy appointment.

“I gave myself a really long runway,” Goldstein said with a chuckle, after noting that she launched her campaign more than a year before the election. “It’s kind of like, you’re on the runway, and the runway stops all of a sudden. Wheels up.”

Bird, who is term-limited, won election in a Democratic-leaning district in 2022 and 2024 with just over 60% of the vote each time. She racked up similar margins in the previous district she represented before being drawn into the new seat as part of Colorado’s redistricting process.

The other prominent Democrats running to take on Evans are state Rep. Manny Rutinel, D-Commerce City; State Treasurer Dave Young, a former state lawmaker from Greeley; and Evan Munsing, a Marine veteran and investment executive.

Rutinel plans to remain in the legislature while running for Congress, a spokeswoman told Colorado Politics.

“Rep. Manny Rutinel remains energized to fight for Colorado’s working families and push back against the disastrous economic agenda of Trump and Gabe Evans in the Capitol and on the campaign trail,” campaign advisor Holly Shrewsbury said in a text message.

Munsing criticized Bird’s decision in a statement to Colorado Politics.

“Voters are sick of seeing politicians put their ambitions ahead of actually doing their jobs,” Munsing said in an emailed statement.

“In the Marines, we didn’t have the option of picking and choosing which missions to accomplish. In order to beat Gabe Evans, we need to rebuild trust with voters. That means elected officials have to show up to vote, do their jobs, and put service to their constituents ahead of service to their careers.”