Manny Rutinel

Manny Rutinel
Rutinel in 2024
Member of the Colorado House of Representatives
from the 32nd district
In office
October 13, 2023 – September 4, 2026
Preceded byDafna Michaelson Jenet
Succeeded byMaría González
Personal details
Born (1994-12-20) December 20, 1994 (age 31)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
PartyDemocratic
EducationPasco-Hernando State College (AA)
University of Florida (BA, BS)
Johns Hopkins University (MS)
Yale University (JD)
WebsiteCampaign website

Tonty Enmanuel "Manny" Rutinel (born December 20, 1994) is an American attorney and politician who served as a member of the Colorado House of Representatives for the 32nd district from 2023 to 2026.

Rutinel is the Democratic nominee for Colorado's 8th congressional district in the 2026 election.

Early life and education

Rutinel was born in Los Angeles, California, and raised by a single mother in the Dominican Republic until he was six years old. They returned to the United States and lived in California and Florida. He attended schools in Florida. He stated that he worked at McDonald's while attending high school and regularly gave blood at a plasma center to help support his family.

Rutinel earned an associate degree from Pasco–Hernando State College, a Bachelor of Arts in economics and Bachelor of Science in microbiology from the University of Florida, a Master of Science in applied economics from Johns Hopkins University, and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School.

Career

Rutinel in 2025

From 2016 to 2018, Rutinel served as an economist for the United States Army Corps of Engineers in Upstate New York. Rutinel served as a first responder in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.[self-published source?] After graduating from law school, he worked as an associate attorney at Earthjustice. Since 2021, Rutinel has worked as the CEO of Climate Refarm, a non-profit organization.

In October 2023, he was selected to fill the former seat of Dafna Michaelson Jenet in the Colorado House of Representatives. She had been selected for a vacant state senate seat. Rutinel has led legislative efforts to conduct oversight of ICE detention centers in Colorado.

On January 27, 2025, Rutinel announced that he would run for the 2026 U.S. House of Representatives election in Colorado's 8th congressional district, seeking to unseat Republican incumbent Gabe Evans. On September 4, 2026, Rutinel resigned from his seat in order to focus on his campaign. The race for Colorado's 8th Congressional District between Rutinel and Evans is the highest spending campaign in Colorado (as of October 2026) for the 2026 elections with about $11 million spent by outside organizations between the June 30 primary and October 2026.

References

  1. ↑ "Governor Polis Appoints María González to Fill Manny Rutinel's Vacancy". El Comercio de Colorado. October 10, 2026. Retrieved October 11, 2026.
  2. ↑ Rutinel, Manny [@MannyRutinel] (December 20, 2023). "It's my birthday! I've spent it the best way I know how: Chatting with @jaredpolis about how we can fight for our environment, public health, and working families. Excited about the policies we'll be passing for Coloradans next session! ⛰️" (Tweet). Retrieved January 28, 2025 – via X (formerly Twitter).
  3. 1 2 Luning, Ernest (January 27, 2025). "Democratic state lawmaker Manny Rutinel launches bid to challenge Gabe Evans in Colorado's 8th CD". Colorado Politics. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Law students to law firms: kick Exxon to the curb or sashay away". ExxonKnews. March 6, 2020. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  5. ↑ Better, Rossana Longo (February 14, 2024). "Rep. Manny Rutinel looks to represent Commerce City's drive for economic, environmental justice". Commerce City Sentinel Express. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  6. ↑ Wilson, Sara (October 2, 2023). "Colorado Democrats pick Manny Rutinel to take vacant seat in Legislature". Colorado Newsline. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
  7. 1 2 "Army engineers provide power for critical public facilities in Puerto Rico after hurricanes". army.mil. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
  8. ↑ "Manny Rutinel | Conference on World Affairs | University of Colorado Boulder". www.colorado.edu. Retrieved 2026-10-08.
  9. ↑ Goodland, Marianne (2023-10-02). "Adams County Democrats pick Manny Rutinel for House vacancy". Colorado Politics. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
  10. ↑ Salzman, Jason (2026-03-06). "After CO Times Recorder Revealed Secret Detention Centers in CO, 31 Lawmakers Call on ICE for 'Immediate Transparency'". Colorado Times Recorder. Retrieved 2026-04-11.
  11. ↑ Woodruff, Chase (January 27, 2025). "State Rep. Manny Rutinel running for Congress in Colorado's battleground 8th District". Colorado Newsline. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  12. ↑ Ventrelli, Marissa (September 4, 2026). "Manny Rutinel resigns from Colorado legislature to focus on congressional race". Colorado Politics. Retrieved September 4, 2026.
  13. ↑ Kim, Caitlyn (2026-10-07). "Candidates, outside groups spending big on Colorado's congressional races". Colorado Public Radio. Retrieved 2026-10-15.