One of Colorado’s most radical progressives is seeking to unseat Republican Rep. Gabe Evans of the state’s Eighth District in the upcoming midterm elections.
State Representative Manny Rutinel, widely considered to be one of the most liberal legislators in a state known for producing radical leftists, has jumped into the race looking for a promotion in one of the most energy-rich districts in the country, producing nearly 4 percent of all American oil in an industry that hosts over 300,000 Colorado jobs.
Rutinel, a Green New Deal advocate, considers climate change and tackling “hot days” that many would refer to as “summer,” to be a top priority. He has pushed policies in the Colorado House that sought to combat “long-standing environmental injustices” that “disproportionately impacted communities of color.”
His legislation created a state Office of Environmental Justice as recommended by Colorado’s Environmental Justice Action Task Force, and to identify the so-called pollution burdens in those “disproportionately impacted communities of color.” The bill further required the state to reduce emissions from oil production by 60 percent by 2030.
Another recommendation from that task force was for Colorado to reallocate 40 percent of public funds towards “disproportionately impacted” groups, which has led to hundreds of thousands of taxpayer funds being used for grants towards DEI education programs about the environment, and required state agencies to conduct "trauma informed” “land acknowledgement” before meetings.
Some grants given out due to Rutinel’s work include more than $150,000 in 2023 to the Walking Mountains Science Center “to reduce these impacts within the county’s Latino/a/x/e community,” and over $180,000 to the Black Parents United Foundation, which spoke at schools about "environmental justice” and partnered with the state for an “environmental equity and cumulative impact analysis” in January, 2026.
Rutinel’s environmental radicalism did not start when he entered elected office. He caused an hour-long delay at a Harvard/Yale football game in 2019 after he stormed the field to protest the use of fossil fuels, a move which Sen. Bernie Sanders praised.
"Manny Rutinel might start his day with a trauma-based land acknowledgement, but that doesn't mean the rest of us should have to,” RNC spokesman Zach Kraft told Townhall. “This guy is a true lunatic who was willing to go to jail for the crazy climate crusade and if given the chance will make his Green Dreams come true even if it means killing good-paying Colorado jobs and sending prices soaring."
"Colorado Democrats finalized a rule to ban natural gas furnaces and stoves, along with a laundry list of additional regulations, driving up your appliances costs by 40%,” said a spokeswoman from Gabe Evans’ campaign. “They’ve proven time and time again, they don’t care what it costs you—so long as they can push policies that limit your lifestyle and make everyday life more expensive.”
Colorado’s Eighth District is currently rated as a neck-and-neck toss-up ahead of the contentious November midterm elections.
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