Manny Rutinel

[{"question": "Ballotpedia survey responses", "answer_html": "<p>See also: <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a></p>\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-xs-10 col-md-6 col-xs-offset-1 col-md-offset-3\"><p><a href=\"https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\"><img align=\"middle\" alt=\"Candidate Connection\" src=\"https://cdn.ballotpedia.org/images/8/88/Candidate_Connection_Logo.png\" width=\"90%\"/></a></p></div></div>\n<p>Manny Rutinel completed <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a> survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Rutinel's responses.</p>\n<p><span class=\"expand-all\">Expand all</span> | <span class=\"collapse-all\">Collapse all</span></p>\n<div aria-multiselectable=\"true\" class=\"panel-group\" id=\"accordion\" role=\"tablist\"><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-310074-2026-03-02\" id=\"heading-bio-310074-2026-03-02\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-bio-310074-2026-03-02\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-310074-2026-03-02\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWho are you? Tell us about yourself.\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-bio-310074-2026-03-02\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-bio-310074-2026-03-02\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI’m my mother’s son. She immigrated to the United States from Latin America as a single mother to give my brother and me a better life. She taught me the power of perseverance, a strong work ethic, and being a practical problem solver. I worked at McDonalds and sold my blood over 100 times to help make ends meet, and I still have the scar on my arm to prove it. My mom also showed me the injustice of being forced to choose between paying rent or receiving healthcare. After years of living paycheck to paycheck, during the Great Recession, the bank foreclosed on our home. We survived because of programs like Medicaid and food stamps - the same programs Trump and Gabe Evans are destroying. \r\nI spent my first semester in college sleeping on my friends’ couches and floors and working as a substitute teacher to afford my education. After college, I became an Economist for the US Army Corps of Engineers, where I also served as a First Responder in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. I went on to graduate with a Master’s in Economics from Johns Hopkins and a law degree from Yale. After law school, I became an attorney who defended our communities against large corporations breaking the law. I now serve in the Colorado State House, fighting for working families and defending the rights and freedoms of every Coloradan from the cruelty and corruption of the Trump Administration; I’ve passed over a dozen bills as the sponsor and over 400 as a cosponsor. Learn more at mannyforcolorado.com\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-310074-2026-03-02\" id=\"heading-key-message-310074-2026-03-02\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-key-message-310074-2026-03-02\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-310074-2026-03-02\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tPlease list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-key-message-310074-2026-03-02\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-key-message-310074-2026-03-02\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><ul><li>Lowering costs for working families: I will lower costs for hardworking families by expanding tax credits for millions of working parents, making billionaires pay what they owe, and closing tax loopholes for corporations. I will bring down the costs of prescription drugs, health care premiums, and energy bills to give people real breathing room. Trump’s policies mean higher prices on basics like groceries through tariffs, and budget cuts that take away earned benefits like Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare to pay for massive tax cuts for the wealthy. I will stop his tariffs and health care cuts, protect SNAP for vulnerable households, and fight junk fees so consumers know true costs upfront.</li><li>Stopping Trump’s Immigration Cruelty and Abuse of Your Tax Dollars: As hardworking Americans deal with higher prices and struggle to pay rent, the Trump administration has poured billions of taxpayer dollars and resources into immigrant detention camps and going after law-abiding immigrant families. If Trump spent half that energy bringing down the cost of living, America would be more affordable right now.\r\nI will fight to keep our government focused on lowering costs and stop Trump’s abuses of power. In Congress, I’ll hold Trump, Noem, and ICE accountable while pushing for comprehensive immigration reform.</li><li>Protect Social Security and Medicare: Social Security is not a handout. It’s a promise every American pays into so they can retire with dignity, and I will fight to protect and strengthen it so every worker knows the promise they paid into will be there for them. I’ll protect Social Security and Medicare, and if anyone tries to cut benefits, raise the retirement age, or weaken either program, I’ll stop them and make the wealthy pay their fair share. Trump, Gabe Evans, and their billionaire donors plan to lay off half the Social Security workforce and shutter field offices, causing delay, disruption, and denial of earned benefits. It’s a backdoor cut that inflicts pain on seniors and people with disabilities, and I’m running to stop it.</li></ul></span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-310074-2026-03-02\" id=\"heading1-310074-2026-03-02\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse1-310074-2026-03-02\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-310074-2026-03-02\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading1-310074-2026-03-02\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse1-310074-2026-03-02\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tTo get a sense, look at some bills I’ve sponsored or cosponsored and passed in Colorado: <br/><br/>\n<p>HB24-1134, to expand the Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income families, which has cut child poverty nearly in half in Colorado. <br/><br/>\r\nSB25-006, to create a $50 million fund to help finance affordable housing<br/><br/>\r\nSB25-276, to keep Colorado law enforcement focused on keeping us safe rather than supporting ICE’s cruelty. <br/><br/>\r\nSB25-003, to restrict semiautomatic weapons and rapid-fire devices in Colorado.<br/><br/>\r\nSB25-129, to shield Colorado abortion providers from out-of-state prosecution under the Trump administration. <br/><br/>\n</p>\nMore at mannyforcoloardo.com/issues\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse2-310074-2026-03-02\" id=\"heading2-310074-2026-03-02\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse2-310074-2026-03-02\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse2-310074-2026-03-02\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading2-310074-2026-03-02\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse2-310074-2026-03-02\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tCongressional Hispanic Caucus BOLD PAC<br/>\n<p>Latino Victory<br/>\r\n314 Action<br/>\r\nFmr Interior Sec. &amp; U.S. Sen Ken Salazar<br/>\r\nFmr U.S. Sen Gary Hart<br/>\r\nFmr Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley<br/>\r\nFmr Energy Sec. &amp; Mayor Federico Peña<br/><br/>\r\nCurrent/Fmr State Sens:<br/>\r\nPolly Baca<br/>\r\nAdrienne Benavidez<br/>\r\nLucia Guzman<br/>\r\nChris Kolker<br/>\r\nJanet Marchman<br/>\r\nMike Weissman<br/><br/>\r\nCurrent/Fmr State Reps:<br/>\r\nJennifer Bacon<br/>\r\nAndrew Boesenecker<br/>\r\nKyle Brown<br/>\r\nChad Clifford<br/>\r\nMeg Froelich<br/>\r\nLorena Garcia<br/>\r\nLindsay Gilchrist<br/>\r\nEliza Hamrick<br/>\r\nJamie Jackson<br/>\r\nJunie Joseph<br/>\r\nMandy Lindsay<br/>\r\nJavier Mabrey<br/>\r\nBob Marshall<br/>\r\nMatthew Martinez<br/>\r\nTisha Mauro<br/>\r\nKenny Nguyen<br/>\r\nDavid Ortiz<br/>\r\nAmy Paschal<br/>\r\nNaquetta Ricks<br/>\r\nJoe Salazar<br/>\r\nEmily Sirota<br/>\r\nLesley Smith<br/>\r\nJudy Solano<br/>\r\nKatie Stewart<br/>\r\nElizabeth Velasco<br/>\r\nJenny Willford<br/>\r\nYara Zokaie<br/>\n</p>\n100+ elected officials\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div></div>\n<div class=\"small\" data-nosnippet=\"\"><p><i><b>Note:</b> Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.</i></p></div>\n<div><div style=\"margin-bottom:1.5rem\"><h4>Campaign website</h4><p>Rutinel's campaign website stated the following:</p><div style=\"max-height:400px;overflow-y:auto;border:1px solid #ccc;padding:10px;margin:20px\"><blockquote style=\"margin:0px\"><h2>HONEST LEADERSHIP THAT GETS RESULTS </h2><p>When people hear about my personal story and our campaign’s momentum to take back the House, people tell me I’m Trump’s worst nightmare. This fight is personal for me.</p><p><br/></p><p>I'm the proud son of a Latina single mom who worked hard every day to give her children the American Dream. As a teen, I started working at McDonald’s and selling my blood at a plasma center to help pay my family's bills. Despite our hard work, I watched my family lose our home in the Great Recession and struggle to make ends meet. </p><p><br/></p><p>In the wealthiest nation in the world, you should be able to get a good night's rest after working a hard day's work. You shouldn't have to lie awake at night thinking about whether you'll be able to put food on your family's table, a roof over your child's head, or have the resources to pay for a medical procedure. We need honest, accountable leadership that fights for working families and knows deep in their bones the struggles that hardworking families are facing. </p><p><br/></p><p>As a State Representative, attorney, and former economist for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, I’ve learned that making progress requires working with others and working hard to get things done. My job in Congress will be straightforward: use facts and evidence to fight for working families by delivering results that make your life better and stopping the Trump Administration from destroying our rights and freedoms.</p><p><br/></p><h2>LOWER COSTS FOR WORKING FAMILIES </h2><p><strong>What I’ll Fight For:</strong> I will lower costs for middle-class families. I’ll expand tax credits for millions of working parents, make billionaires pay what they owe in taxes, and close tax loopholes for corporations. I will reduce the burden on working- and middle-class families by bringing down the costs of everyday things – prescription drugs, health care premiums, and energy bills. That’s real breathing room for folks who need it most.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>What Trump and Gabe Evans Want: </strong>Trump’s and Gabe Evans’ economic policies make life worse for working families and seniors. Trump’s tariffs mean higher prices on basics like groceries. And their budget cuts take away earned benefits like Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare - benefits Trump calls “entitlements” - to pay for massive tax cuts for the wealthy and big corporations. It is a one-two punch that makes life worse for millions of Coloradans.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Stop Tariffs and Healthcare Cuts That Drive Up Costs: </strong>Trump’s tariffs drive up the cost of everyday goods like groceries and housing. Trump said he would lower, not raise prices, but his tariffs and his hundreds of billions in cuts to Medicaid and healthcare credits, which families rely on, pinch families’ budgets further.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Protect and Expand Access to Food Security Programs:</strong> Four in five Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households include a child, an elderly individual, or a person with a disability. Overall, more than 65% of SNAP participants are in families with children. SNAP is essential to protecting our nation’s most vulnerable.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Fight Against Junk Fees:</strong> I will fight to pass laws that protect consumers from surprise charges at the cash register. I will work to save consumers billions of dollars on unfair hidden fees for airfares, tickets, hotels, and banking, and allow consumers to know the real cost of everything upfront.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Require Easier Subscription Cancellation: </strong>We need to save consumers money by requiring companies to make it easier to cancel a subscription. I will fight for legislation that will require sellers to make it as easy for consumers to cancel their enrollment as it was to sign up.</p><p><br/></p><h2>PROTECT AND STRENGTHEN SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE </h2><p><strong>I’m honored to have the endorsement of former Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley. </strong></p><p>Social Security is not a handout. It’s a promise that every American pays into so they can retire with dignity. The richest billionaires in the world don’t think you should get to retire after paying into Social Security your entire life, but I do. In Congress, I will fight to protect and strengthen Social Security so every senior can retire with dignity and every worker knows that the promise they paid into will be there for them when they retire.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>What I’ll Fight For:</strong> I’ll protect Social Security and Medicare. If anyone tries to cut Social Security or Medicare or raise the retirement age, I’ll stop them. I’ll protect and strengthen Social Security and make the wealthy pay their fair share. I’m committed to protecting and strengthening Social Security and will oppose any attempt to cut Social Security benefits for current or future recipients.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>What Trump and Gabe Evans Want:</strong> Trump, Gabe Evans, and their billionaire donors plan to lay off half the Social Security workforce and shutter field offices across the country. This will mean the delay, disruption, and denial of benefits. It’s a backdoor cut. It is an insult to hard-working Coloradans who earned their benefits. Republicans have reduced staffing at Social Security to dangerous levels, and they want to cut customer service in half. These cuts inflict pain on seniors and people with disabilities.</p><p><br/></p><h2>LOWER HEALTHCARE COSTS AND EXPAND ACCESS </h2><p><strong>What I’ll Fight For:</strong> I’ll lower healthcare costs. We need to expand Medicare’s power to negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs just like the VA does for our veterans. That’s not just saving seniors money. It’s saving taxpayers money by cutting the federal deficit by hundreds of billions because Medicare will no longer have to pay exorbitant prices to Big Pharma. Americans pay more for prescription drugs than anywhere else. Instead of paying $400 a month for insulin, seniors with diabetes should not pay more than $35 a month. I want to cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month for every American who needs it and provide similar benefits for other essential medicines.</p><p><br/></p><p>Healthcare is an essential need. We’re not talking about a luxury. It’s not right that, in particular, our seniors have to make the choice about whether they fill a prescription that a doctor ordered because it will save their life, or pay for food or rent.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Support Bodily Autonomy:</strong> When it comes to abortion, the government needs to respect Americans’ freedom to make our own decisions about our own families without interference from politicians or anyone else. Politicians have no place in a private medical decision.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Protect Consumers from Surprise Fees:</strong> I’ll crack down on surprise billing at hospitals. I will fight to protect patients from unexpected medical bills and prohibit insurers from charging out-of-network rates when patients seek care at in-network facilities.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>What Trump and Gabe Evans Want: </strong>Trump and Gabe Evans’ cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act will kick hundreds of thousands of Coloradans off their health care. Trump and Gabe Evans said they would come in and lower costs, but instead, their policies raise prices and increase the costs of insurance premiums and healthcare.</p><p><br/></p><h2>MAKE HOUSING AFFORDABLE FOR WORKING FAMILIES </h2><p><strong>What I’ll Fight For: </strong>I’ll make housing more affordable. Housing is not a luxury; it’s a basic life necessity. Affordable housing should not be treated as just a commodity but rather as a common good that every Coloradan should be able to afford, whether someone works at McDonald’s, Walmart, or anywhere else. If someone is working full-time, there is no reason their paycheck shouldn’t cover food &amp; rent. This shouldn’t be controversial.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>What Trump and Gabe Evans Want: </strong>Trump and Gabe Evans’ tariff policies drive up costs for groceries and housing at a time when they are already sky high. Trump and Gabe Evans were elected to lower costs, not raise them. But even Trump acknowledges that tariffs are likely to drive up costs - on everything from fruit to building materials.</p><p><br/></p><h2>SUPPORT VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES </h2><p><strong>What I’ll Fight For:</strong> I’ll expand cancer treatment coverage for veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs should issue new rules to expand the types of cancers for which veterans exposed to radiation, burn pits, or water contamination can get treatment. I’ll expand community-based suicide prevention programs for veterans. We’ll step up screenings and partner with local governments and non-profits with the goal of reducing the number of veterans who die by suicide, which is currently averaging 17 per day. I’ll expand peer support programs to help veterans who are coping with a mental health condition.</p><p><br/></p><h2>CREATE GOOD JOBS AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY </h2><p><strong>What I’ll Fight For:</strong> I’ll support policies that reduce income inequality. A strong middle class is essential for a healthy economy, and I’ll work to create good-paying jobs, raise the federal minimum wage, and ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to succeed.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Increase Vocational Certificates:</strong> We need to increase funding for programs that allow interested high school students to graduate with an industry-recognized credential in addition to their high school diploma. Students should be able to pursue career training while in high school that culminates in a credential demonstrating their readiness for jobs in their chosen skilled trade.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Support Unions:</strong> Unions are often the only path towards fair wages amidst rising costs and inflation. Millions of Americans—teachers, nurses, ambulance workers, and other essential service workers—haven’t seen their salaries increase in years. Rising costs have made it more difficult for these hard workers to find stability and prosperity. I support workers taking collective action for fair wages and believe that families deserve economic stability.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Support Working Parents:</strong> I will work to make sure working parents can afford to raise a family and have access to sick days, paid family and medical leave, and affordable child care that will enable millions more people to go to work. </p><p><br/></p><h2>STOPPING CORRUPTION </h2><p>Increasingly, we have a system that works for large corporations, billionaires, and big donors who buy access and influence, leading to policies that cater to their interests at the expense of everyone else. But we can fix it.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>End Billionaire Tax Cheating: </strong> I want to close the loopholes that allow the very wealthy to avoid paying their taxes. Instead of cutting the number of audits of wealthy taxpayers, I’ll support laws that reduce the deficit by hundreds of billions by cracking down on wealthy tax cheats. That’s being fiscally responsible.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>End Corruption in Congress</strong>: I will fight to ban stock trading by members of Congress and close lobbyist loopholes. I will fight to reverse Citizens United and get dark money out of politics. </p><p><br/></p><p>Special interests and dark money groups have too much power in our elections, leaving voters frustrated and ignored. We need to give that power back to the people by exploring voting reforms, such as approval voting, that gives power back to the will of working people.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>No Corporate PAC Money Pledge: </strong>My campaign does not take corporate PAC money because I believe elected officials should answer to the people, not corporate special interests. I believe Democracy only works when it belongs to all of us.</p><p><br/></p><h2>STOPPING TRUMP'S IMMIGRATION CRUELTY</h2><p><strong>Stopping the Abuse of Your Tax Dollars: </strong>While you struggle with rising costs and can't afford rent, Trump spends billions of taxpayer dollars and other government resources building immigrant prison camps like Alligator Alcatraz, killing American citizens, and violently targeting law-abiding immigrant families. If Trump spent as much time worrying about lowering costs as he does tormenting immigrants, things would be a lot less expensive. I will fight to keep our federal government focused on lowering costs and stop Trump’s corruption and abuse of power. </p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Protecting Our Neighbors from Brutality:</strong> As the son of a single immigrant mom, I have always worked to be a champion for immigrants and working people, and I will do the same in Congress. I am the only candidate in this race who has voted to protect Colorado immigrants from ICE brutality as a cosponsor of Colorado SB25-276, which keeps Colorado law enforcement focused on keeping us safe rather than supporting ICE’s cruelty. Trump’s immigration policies make families afraid to go to school, church, or the doctor, or even report crimes. Our communities work best when everyone feels safe.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Holding the Trump Administration Accountable: </strong>In Congress, I will hold Trump and ICE accountable for their actions. Trump's ICE agents should not be wearing masks, taking people in unmarked cars, or stopping people based on their skin color, and they should be wearing body cameras, required to use judicial orders, and held accountable when they break the law. Americans deserve strong standards for all law enforcement. </p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Comprehensive Immigration Reform and Public Safety:</strong> Our immigration system is broken. We need to fix it. We need an immigration enforcement system that improves public safety and national security by focusing on the deportation of violent criminals, gang members, and human traffickers – not our neighbors who contribute to our communities, pay taxes, and pose no threat to our safety. We should give law enforcement the tools it needs to stop fentanyl and weapons from coming through our border. And we should provide a pathway to citizenship for the immigrants who have been here the longest and groups like DREAMers, while making sure we protect undocumented workers from exploitation. In Congress, I will fight tirelessly to create a fair and safe immigration system that reflects America’s values. </p><p><br/></p><h2>LEGISLATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS </h2><p>I’m proud to have sponsored dozens of bills that became Colorado law and cosponsored hundreds more during my time in the Colorado State House. </p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Bills sponsored and passed include:</strong></p><ul><li>HB24-1134, to expand the Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income families, which has cut child poverty nearly in half in Colorado. </li><li>SB25-006, to create a $50 million fund to help finance affordable housing</li><li>HB24-1388, to crack down on polluters breaking the law and require impact analyses and real-time pollution monitoring. </li><li>SB24-141, to expand telehealth access for Coloradans, particularly in rural communities. </li><li>SB24-081, to ban toxic “forever chemicals” in products sold in Colorado. </li><li>HB25-1295 to streamline small-business permitting so food truck owners can focus on making delicious food, not on jumping through hoops and filling out redundant paperwork.</li></ul><p><strong>Bills cosponsored and passed include:</strong></p><ul><li>SB25-276, to keep Colorado law enforcement focused on keeping us safe rather than supporting ICE’s cruelty. </li><li>SB25-003, to restrict semiautomatic weapons and rapid-fire devices in Colorado.</li><li>SB25-129, to shield Colorado abortion providers from out-of-state prosecution under the Trump administration.</li><li>SB25-014, to protect marriage equality in Colorado's state constitution regardless of any future federal court rollback.</li><li>HB25-1001, to crack down on wage theft and protect workers from being misclassified as independent contractors.</li><li>HB25-1002, to require insurers to cover mental health care.</li><li>HB25-1090, to ban junk fees and hidden charges so renters and consumers see the true price upfront.</li><li>HB24-1438, to strengthen and expand Colorado's insulin affordability program so diabetics can access life-saving medication at a capped cost.</li><li>SB24-080, to require health insurance carriers to be transparent about their pricing so Coloradans can actually shop for and understand their coverage without surprise fees.</li><li>SB25-282, to protect veterans from scams by cracking down on scammers who take advantage of them when they’re trying to apply for or appeal VA benefits.</li></ul></blockquote><div style=\"text-align: right; font-size: 0.9em; color: #555; margin-top: 0.5em;\"><p style=\"font-size:0.9em;color:#555\">— Manny Rutinel's <a href=\"https://www.mannyforcolorado.com/issues\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">campaign website</a> (April 29, 2026)</p></div></div></div><div style=\"text-align: center; font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0.5em;\"><i>Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.</i></div></div>", "answer_text": "See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection\n\nManny Rutinel completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Rutinel's responses.\nExpand all | Collapse all\nWho are you? Tell us about yourself. I’m my mother’s son. She immigrated to the United States from Latin America as a single mother to give my brother and me a better life. She taught me the power of perseverance, a strong work ethic, and being a practical problem solver. I worked at McDonalds and sold my blood over 100 times to help make ends meet, and I still have the scar on my arm to prove it. My mom also showed me the injustice of being forced to choose between paying rent or receiving healthcare. After years of living paycheck to paycheck, during the Great Recession, the bank foreclosed on our home. We survived because of programs like Medicaid and food stamps - the same programs Trump and Gabe Evans are destroying. \r\nI spent my first semester in college sleeping on my friends’ couches and floors and working as a substitute teacher to afford my education. After college, I became an Economist for the US Army Corps of Engineers, where I also served as a First Responder in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. I went on to graduate with a Master’s in Economics from Johns Hopkins and a law degree from Yale. After law school, I became an attorney who defended our communities against large corporations breaking the law. I now serve in the Colorado State House, fighting for working families and defending the rights and freedoms of every Coloradan from the cruelty and corruption of the Trump Administration; I’ve passed over a dozen bills as the sponsor and over 400 as a cosponsor. Learn more at mannyforcolorado.com Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office? Lowering costs for working families: I will lower costs for hardworking families by expanding tax credits for millions of working parents, making billionaires pay what they owe, and closing tax loopholes for corporations. I will bring down the costs of prescription drugs, health care premiums, and energy bills to give people real breathing room. Trump’s policies mean higher prices on basics like groceries through tariffs, and budget cuts that take away earned benefits like Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare to pay for massive tax cuts for the wealthy. I will stop his tariffs and health care cuts, protect SNAP for vulnerable households, and fight junk fees so consumers know true costs upfront. Stopping Trump’s Immigration Cruelty and Abuse of Your Tax Dollars: As hardworking Americans deal with higher prices and struggle to pay rent, the Trump administration has poured billions of taxpayer dollars and resources into immigrant detention camps and going after law-abiding immigrant families. If Trump spent half that energy bringing down the cost of living, America would be more affordable right now.\r\nI will fight to keep our government focused on lowering costs and stop Trump’s abuses of power. In Congress, I’ll hold Trump, Noem, and ICE accountable while pushing for comprehensive immigration reform. Protect Social Security and Medicare: Social Security is not a handout. It’s a promise every American pays into so they can retire with dignity, and I will fight to protect and strengthen it so every worker knows the promise they paid into will be there for them. I’ll protect Social Security and Medicare, and if anyone tries to cut benefits, raise the retirement age, or weaken either program, I’ll stop them and make the wealthy pay their fair share. Trump, Gabe Evans, and their billionaire donors plan to lay off half the Social Security workforce and shutter field offices, causing delay, disruption, and denial of earned benefits. It’s a backdoor cut that inflicts pain on seniors and people with disabilities, and I’m running to stop it. What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? To get a sense, look at some bills I’ve sponsored or cosponsored and passed in Colorado: HB24-1134, to expand the Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income families, which has cut child poverty nearly in half in Colorado. SB25-006, to create a $50 million fund to help finance affordable housing SB25-276, to keep Colorado law enforcement focused on keeping us safe rather than supporting ICE’s cruelty. SB25-003, to restrict semiautomatic weapons and rapid-fire devices in Colorado. SB25-129, to shield Colorado abortion providers from out-of-state prosecution under the Trump administration. More at mannyforcoloardo.com/issues What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign? Congressional Hispanic Caucus BOLD PAC Latino Victory 314 Action Fmr Interior Sec. & U.S. Sen Ken Salazar Fmr U.S. Sen Gary Hart Fmr Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley Fmr Energy Sec. & Mayor Federico Peña Current/Fmr State Sens: Polly Baca Adrienne Benavidez Lucia Guzman Chris Kolker Janet Marchman Mike Weissman Current/Fmr State Reps: Jennifer Bacon Andrew Boesenecker Kyle Brown Chad Clifford Meg Froelich Lorena Garcia Lindsay Gilchrist Eliza Hamrick Jamie Jackson Junie Joseph Mandy Lindsay Javier Mabrey Bob Marshall Matthew Martinez Tisha Mauro Kenny Nguyen David Ortiz Amy Paschal Naquetta Ricks Joe Salazar Emily Sirota Lesley Smith Judy Solano Katie Stewart Elizabeth Velasco Jenny Willford Yara Zokaie 100+ elected officials\nNote: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.\nCampaign website Rutinel's campaign website stated the following: HONEST LEADERSHIP THAT GETS RESULTS When people hear about my personal story and our campaign’s momentum to take back the House, people tell me I’m Trump’s worst nightmare. This fight is personal for me. I'm the proud son of a Latina single mom who worked hard every day to give her children the American Dream. As a teen, I started working at McDonald’s and selling my blood at a plasma center to help pay my family's bills. Despite our hard work, I watched my family lose our home in the Great Recession and struggle to make ends meet. In the wealthiest nation in the world, you should be able to get a good night's rest after working a hard day's work. You shouldn't have to lie awake at night thinking about whether you'll be able to put food on your family's table, a roof over your child's head, or have the resources to pay for a medical procedure. We need honest, accountable leadership that fights for working families and knows deep in their bones the struggles that hardworking families are facing. As a State Representative, attorney, and former economist for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, I’ve learned that making progress requires working with others and working hard to get things done. My job in Congress will be straightforward: use facts and evidence to fight for working families by delivering results that make your life better and stopping the Trump Administration from destroying our rights and freedoms. LOWER COSTS FOR WORKING FAMILIES What I’ll Fight For: I will lower costs for middle-class families. I’ll expand tax credits for millions of working parents, make billionaires pay what they owe in taxes, and close tax loopholes for corporations. I will reduce the burden on working- and middle-class families by bringing down the costs of everyday things – prescription drugs, health care premiums, and energy bills. That’s real breathing room for folks who need it most. What Trump and Gabe Evans Want: Trump’s and Gabe Evans’ economic policies make life worse for working families and seniors. Trump’s tariffs mean higher prices on basics like groceries. And their budget cuts take away earned benefits like Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare - benefits Trump calls “entitlements” - to pay for massive tax cuts for the wealthy and big corporations. It is a one-two punch that makes life worse for millions of Coloradans. Stop Tariffs and Healthcare Cuts That Drive Up Costs: Trump’s tariffs drive up the cost of everyday goods like groceries and housing. Trump said he would lower, not raise prices, but his tariffs and his hundreds of billions in cuts to Medicaid and healthcare credits, which families rely on, pinch families’ budgets further. Protect and Expand Access to Food Security Programs: Four in five Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households include a child, an elderly individual, or a person with a disability. Overall, more than 65% of SNAP participants are in families with children. SNAP is essential to protecting our nation’s most vulnerable. Fight Against Junk Fees: I will fight to pass laws that protect consumers from surprise charges at the cash register. I will work to save consumers billions of dollars on unfair hidden fees for airfares, tickets, hotels, and banking, and allow consumers to know the real cost of everything upfront. Require Easier Subscription Cancellation: We need to save consumers money by requiring companies to make it easier to cancel a subscription. I will fight for legislation that will require sellers to make it as easy for consumers to cancel their enrollment as it was to sign up. PROTECT AND STRENGTHEN SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE I’m honored to have the endorsement of former Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley. Social Security is not a handout. It’s a promise that every American pays into so they can retire with dignity. The richest billionaires in the world don’t think you should get to retire after paying into Social Security your entire life, but I do. In Congress, I will fight to protect and strengthen Social Security so every senior can retire with dignity and every worker knows that the promise they paid into will be there for them when they retire. What I’ll Fight For: I’ll protect Social Security and Medicare. If anyone tries to cut Social Security or Medicare or raise the retirement age, I’ll stop them. I’ll protect and strengthen Social Security and make the wealthy pay their fair share. I’m committed to protecting and strengthening Social Security and will oppose any attempt to cut Social Security benefits for current or future recipients. What Trump and Gabe Evans Want: Trump, Gabe Evans, and their billionaire donors plan to lay off half the Social Security workforce and shutter field offices across the country. This will mean the delay, disruption, and denial of benefits. It’s a backdoor cut. It is an insult to hard-working Coloradans who earned their benefits. Republicans have reduced staffing at Social Security to dangerous levels, and they want to cut customer service in half. These cuts inflict pain on seniors and people with disabilities. LOWER HEALTHCARE COSTS AND EXPAND ACCESS What I’ll Fight For: I’ll lower healthcare costs. We need to expand Medicare’s power to negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs just like the VA does for our veterans. That’s not just saving seniors money. It’s saving taxpayers money by cutting the federal deficit by hundreds of billions because Medicare will no longer have to pay exorbitant prices to Big Pharma. Americans pay more for prescription drugs than anywhere else. Instead of paying $400 a month for insulin, seniors with diabetes should not pay more than $35 a month. I want to cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month for every American who needs it and provide similar benefits for other essential medicines. Healthcare is an essential need. We’re not talking about a luxury. It’s not right that, in particular, our seniors have to make the choice about whether they fill a prescription that a doctor ordered because it will save their life, or pay for food or rent. Support Bodily Autonomy: When it comes to abortion, the government needs to respect Americans’ freedom to make our own decisions about our own families without interference from politicians or anyone else. Politicians have no place in a private medical decision. Protect Consumers from Surprise Fees: I’ll crack down on surprise billing at hospitals. I will fight to protect patients from unexpected medical bills and prohibit insurers from charging out-of-network rates when patients seek care at in-network facilities. What Trump and Gabe Evans Want: Trump and Gabe Evans’ cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act will kick hundreds of thousands of Coloradans off their health care. Trump and Gabe Evans said they would come in and lower costs, but instead, their policies raise prices and increase the costs of insurance premiums and healthcare. MAKE HOUSING AFFORDABLE FOR WORKING FAMILIES What I’ll Fight For: I’ll make housing more affordable. Housing is not a luxury; it’s a basic life necessity. Affordable housing should not be treated as just a commodity but rather as a common good that every Coloradan should be able to afford, whether someone works at McDonald’s, Walmart, or anywhere else. If someone is working full-time, there is no reason their paycheck shouldn’t cover food & rent. This shouldn’t be controversial. What Trump and Gabe Evans Want: Trump and Gabe Evans’ tariff policies drive up costs for groceries and housing at a time when they are already sky high. Trump and Gabe Evans were elected to lower costs, not raise them. But even Trump acknowledges that tariffs are likely to drive up costs - on everything from fruit to building materials. SUPPORT VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES What I’ll Fight For: I’ll expand cancer treatment coverage for veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs should issue new rules to expand the types of cancers for which veterans exposed to radiation, burn pits, or water contamination can get treatment. I’ll expand community-based suicide prevention programs for veterans. We’ll step up screenings and partner with local governments and non-profits with the goal of reducing the number of veterans who die by suicide, which is currently averaging 17 per day. I’ll expand peer support programs to help veterans who are coping with a mental health condition. CREATE GOOD JOBS AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY What I’ll Fight For: I’ll support policies that reduce income inequality. A strong middle class is essential for a healthy economy, and I’ll work to create good-paying jobs, raise the federal minimum wage, and ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to succeed. Increase Vocational Certificates: We need to increase funding for programs that allow interested high school students to graduate with an industry-recognized credential in addition to their high school diploma. Students should be able to pursue career training while in high school that culminates in a credential demonstrating their readiness for jobs in their chosen skilled trade. Support Unions: Unions are often the only path towards fair wages amidst rising costs and inflation. Millions of Americans—teachers, nurses, ambulance workers, and other essential service workers—haven’t seen their salaries increase in years. Rising costs have made it more difficult for these hard workers to find stability and prosperity. I support workers taking collective action for fair wages and believe that families deserve economic stability. Support Working Parents: I will work to make sure working parents can afford to raise a family and have access to sick days, paid family and medical leave, and affordable child care that will enable millions more people to go to work. STOPPING CORRUPTION Increasingly, we have a system that works for large corporations, billionaires, and big donors who buy access and influence, leading to policies that cater to their interests at the expense of everyone else. But we can fix it. End Billionaire Tax Cheating: I want to close the loopholes that allow the very wealthy to avoid paying their taxes. Instead of cutting the number of audits of wealthy taxpayers, I’ll support laws that reduce the deficit by hundreds of billions by cracking down on wealthy tax cheats. That’s being fiscally responsible. End Corruption in Congress : I will fight to ban stock trading by members of Congress and close lobbyist loopholes. I will fight to reverse Citizens United and get dark money out of politics. Special interests and dark money groups have too much power in our elections, leaving voters frustrated and ignored. We need to give that power back to the people by exploring voting reforms, such as approval voting, that gives power back to the will of working people. No Corporate PAC Money Pledge: My campaign does not take corporate PAC money because I believe elected officials should answer to the people, not corporate special interests. I believe Democracy only works when it belongs to all of us. STOPPING TRUMP'S IMMIGRATION CRUELTY Stopping the Abuse of Your Tax Dollars: While you struggle with rising costs and can't afford rent, Trump spends billions of taxpayer dollars and other government resources building immigrant prison camps like Alligator Alcatraz, killing American citizens, and violently targeting law-abiding immigrant families. If Trump spent as much time worrying about lowering costs as he does tormenting immigrants, things would be a lot less expensive. I will fight to keep our federal government focused on lowering costs and stop Trump’s corruption and abuse of power. Protecting Our Neighbors from Brutality: As the son of a single immigrant mom, I have always worked to be a champion for immigrants and working people, and I will do the same in Congress. I am the only candidate in this race who has voted to protect Colorado immigrants from ICE brutality as a cosponsor of Colorado SB25-276, which keeps Colorado law enforcement focused on keeping us safe rather than supporting ICE’s cruelty. Trump’s immigration policies make families afraid to go to school, church, or the doctor, or even report crimes. Our communities work best when everyone feels safe. Holding the Trump Administration Accountable: In Congress, I will hold Trump and ICE accountable for their actions. Trump's ICE agents should not be wearing masks, taking people in unmarked cars, or stopping people based on their skin color, and they should be wearing body cameras, required to use judicial orders, and held accountable when they break the law. Americans deserve strong standards for all law enforcement. Comprehensive Immigration Reform and Public Safety: Our immigration system is broken. We need to fix it. We need an immigration enforcement system that improves public safety and national security by focusing on the deportation of violent criminals, gang members, and human traffickers – not our neighbors who contribute to our communities, pay taxes, and pose no threat to our safety. We should give law enforcement the tools it needs to stop fentanyl and weapons from coming through our border. And we should provide a pathway to citizenship for the immigrants who have been here the longest and groups like DREAMers, while making sure we protect undocumented workers from exploitation. In Congress, I will fight tirelessly to create a fair and safe immigration system that reflects America’s values. LEGISLATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS I’m proud to have sponsored dozens of bills that became Colorado law and cosponsored hundreds more during my time in the Colorado State House. Bills sponsored and passed include: HB24-1134, to expand the Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income families, which has cut child poverty nearly in half in Colorado. SB25-006, to create a $50 million fund to help finance affordable housing HB24-1388, to crack down on polluters breaking the law and require impact analyses and real-time pollution monitoring. SB24-141, to expand telehealth access for Coloradans, particularly in rural communities. SB24-081, to ban toxic “forever chemicals” in products sold in Colorado. HB25-1295 to streamline small-business permitting so food truck owners can focus on making delicious food, not on jumping through hoops and filling out redundant paperwork. Bills cosponsored and passed include: SB25-276, to keep Colorado law enforcement focused on keeping us safe rather than supporting ICE’s cruelty. SB25-003, to restrict semiautomatic weapons and rapid-fire devices in Colorado. SB25-129, to shield Colorado abortion providers from out-of-state prosecution under the Trump administration. SB25-014, to protect marriage equality in Colorado's state constitution regardless of any future federal court rollback. HB25-1001, to crack down on wage theft and protect workers from being misclassified as independent contractors. HB25-1002, to require insurers to cover mental health care. HB25-1090, to ban junk fees and hidden charges so renters and consumers see the true price upfront. HB24-1438, to strengthen and expand Colorado's insulin affordability program so diabetics can access life-saving medication at a capped cost. SB24-080, to require health insurance carriers to be transparent about their pricing so Coloradans can actually shop for and understand their coverage without surprise fees. SB25-282, to protect veterans from scams by cracking down on scammers who take advantage of them when they’re trying to apply for or appeal VA benefits. — Manny Rutinel's campaign website (April 29, 2026) Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source."}, {"question": "Campaign ads", "answer_html": "<p>View more ads here:\n</p>\n<ul><li><a class=\"external text\" href=\"https://www.youtube.com/c/mannyrutinel\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube</a></li>\n<li><a class=\"external text\" href=\"https://www.facebook.com/mannyforcolorado/reels/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook</a></li></ul>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"></div>\n<p>Manny Rutinel did not complete <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection</a> survey.\n</p>", "answer_text": "View more ads here:\nYouTube Facebook\n\nManny Rutinel did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey."}]