Far-left candidate's past anti-meat activism clashes with campaign pivot in cattle country

Manny Rutinel, a state legislator and Democratic candidate for Congress in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District, has a long track record of activism against ranching and other animal-related businesses — even as the district he’s running to represent depends heavily on the sector.

His past positions cast doubt on his current posture towards the meat business as he looks to unseat Rep. Gabe Evans, R-Colo., in one of the most competitive districts in the country.

Rutinel said he had recently rethought his position towards ranching during an interview with the Colorado Sun late last year.

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Rep. Manny Rutinel listens to a speaker during the general assembly at the Colorado State Capitol Building on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

"Like all industry, there are bad apples, and I’ve spoken out against those bad apples that cause extreme and unnecessary animal cruelty in parts of the food industry and against the environmental cost of unsustainable food practices," he said.

"They’re good stewards of the land, they care for their animals and they are the backbone of our economy and our communities. Colorado ranchers are my friends and neighbors, and I’ve gotten to know them," he added.

Notably, Colorado’s 8th district is Colorado’s leading producer of beef cattle and dairy, accounting for 26% of the state’s output, according to Upstate Colorado Economic Development. Of its 2.5 million acres, 75% are devoted to farming and raising livestock.

"Meatless Manny makes PETA look reasonable and he wants to force Coloradans to scrounge for berries and nuts off the ground like cave men," Republican National Committee spokesperson Zach Kraft told Fox News Digital. "The lack of protein in Rutinel's diet must be messing with his brain because there is a zero percent chance the ranching capital of Colorado votes for a vegan

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Despite his reframing on ranching, Rutinel has suggested his ideal world might exclude them.

"In order to go green, you have to eat green," Rutinel said when, as a 21-year-old, he prompted veganism by stripping and wearing a pro-vegan sign at an Earth Day celebration.

He reflected that thinking in testimony before the Connecticut legislature during his time at Yale Law School.

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Vance Alfrey, 84, observes heifers at the Schroder family ranch in Walsh, Colorado on May 9, 2026. The Schroder ranch, established in 1926, has been forced to dramatically reduce its planted acreage this year due to drought conditions. (Mark Makela/Getty Images)

"The report concludes that the globe must dramatically shift away from animal products and towards fruit, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and nuts. This environmental shift will also have tremendous health benefits for consumers," Rutinel said, referring to the Planetary Health Diet, a collaborative report on food production ideals to address climate change.

Years later, as a state legislator, he would call a proposed ban on fur "really awesome," even as the Denver Democrats opposed the idea.

Additionally, Rutinel began a petition to get Popeyes to implement a plant-based menu as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, arguing that doing so would lessen the risk of employees at slaughterhouses contracting the disease.

Rutinel would also go on to found Climate Refarm, a group that helped readers make the transition towards more plant-based food sources.

"At Climate Refarm, we exist to turn everyday choices into powerful tools for climate action. Our mission is to help institutions transition to plant-based food systems while reducing greenhouse gas emissions through science-backed carbon credit solutions," the group’s website reads.

Visitors stand on the west steps of the Colorado State Capitol on April 23, 2023, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

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Rutinel’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether he continues to believe that climate reform must, on some level, mean change for farming industries.

Having cleared the Democratic primary, Rutinel will face off against Evans in the state’s Nov. 3, 2026, general election.