Manny Rutinel once said veganism is a solution to food costs
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State Rep. Manny Rutinel in April 2025. Photo: AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post via Getty Images
In newly unearthed social media posts, 8th Congressional District hopeful Manny Rutinel once said veganism is a solution to the high price of food.
- "I eat for 3 dollars a day completely vegan," Rutinel wrote on Reddit in 2017. "I think meat is what may be costing people so much."
Why it matters: The remark is part of Rutinel's long record as an animal rights advocate — a stance that now conflicts with his campaign.
- The district boasts a multibillion-dollar ag industry and more than 2,000 farms, 79% of which are involved in the sale of livestock, poultry and other animal products.
Driving the news: In additional now-deleted Reddit posts shared exclusively by Axios, Rutinel doubled down on his position.
- He wrote in a thread about minimum wage: "It's definitely possible to eat for even less by eating a higher proportion of beans and grains. … You'd be surprised how much you could save in the long term by adopting a plant-based diet."
- He also called animal agriculture an "injustice" and encouraged consumers to protest and "speak out on behalf of animals in captivity."
Between the lines: Rutinel, now 31 and no longer vegan, wrote the posts at age 22.
- A documentary he watched at age 14 inspired his advocacy, which continued through 2023 when he was appointed to fill a vacant state House seat representing Commerce City, the Colorado Sun reported.
The big picture: His views in the Reddit posts echoed other remarks and activism before he sought elected office. In college, he protested animal agriculture by posing shirtless, draped in a PETA banner. In law school, he argued the industry fueled climate change.
- He also supported Denver ballot measures to ban fur sales and slaughterhouses in city limits, both of which failed.
The intrigue: Republicans are reviving his record, casting him as a radical activist and dubbing him "Meatless Manny."
What he's saying: Rutinel declined Axios' interview request but told the Sun those posts "are not my views today. … I've grown a lot, and I'm glad that I have."
- He walked back his prior advocacy and emphasized his record in the Legislature supporting farmers, including a bill allowing them to repair their own equipment.
In a statement issued by his campaign, Rutinel told Axios he would fight to reverse President Trump tariffs that threaten the livelihoods of farmers and ranchers "and raise our grocery costs."
The other side: Rutinel's rival, incumbent U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans (R-Fort Lupton), also faced blowback from remarks he made at age 17 in which he opposed same-sex marriage, saying it would have "a terrible effect … on our society."
- Evans now says his views have changed and he doesn't support a ban on same-sex marriage.