Manny Rutinel
D · U.S. House, CO-8 · Tier 2
Tier 2, “Mainstream pro-Israel”
Won the June 30 CO-8 primary 62–34 over DMFI-backed former state Rep. Shannon Bird to face GOP Rep. Gabe Evans in a marquee battleground; a Commerce City state representative. Asked in the Colorado Sun voter guide whether he supports continued U.S. military funding for Israel and whether conditions should apply, he said yes and framed it around “pursuing peace”, “stability and de-escalation,” “secure borders”, and a “two-state solution” without calling for conditions, and separately declined the “genocide” label (“I do not boil it down to one word descriptors”) — a documented shift from earlier positions. Jewish Insider reported that in college he attended a 2014 campus demonstration co-organized by Students for Justice in Palestine; his campaign said he went to protest police brutality after Ferguson and “has never affiliated with Students for Justice in Palestine.” His committee has reported no AIPAC, DMFI or CUFI money. A former supporter says he privately called Gaza a genocide before the campaign. Asked again at a Colorado Sun candidate forum in Greeley on October 20, 2026 whether military aid to Israel should continue and on what conditions, he said the resources “should be in alignment with our laws and values, and we should be upholding international human rights laws,” adding, “But Israel is an ally. We need to make sure that they’re able to defend themselves.” His written answer to the Intermountain Jewish News, published October 21, says the same: “Israel is an important US ally, and it has a right to defend itself. We also need to make sure our tax dollars are being used in accordance with our laws and values and international human rights law.”
A 2, on a thin record: one voter-guide answer, two statements to the Colorado Sun and a campaign statement to Jewish Insider. Asked by the Sun in May 2026 whether he supports continued U.S. military funding for Israel and whether conditions should apply, he said yes, speaking of “stability and de-escalation” and “secure borders and a two-state solution,” and named no conditions; asked the same question in October, he said the aid “should be in alignment with our laws and values, and we should be upholding international human rights laws,” but that “Israel is an ally” that must be able “to defend themselves.” That October line is his first daylight, and he has voiced it only once. His campaign told Jewish Insider he “supports U.S. security assistance to Israel in line with the Obama administration’s 2016 memorandum of understanding.” After a former supporter said he had privately called Gaza a genocide, he told the Sun, “I do not boil it down to one word descriptors.” He has voiced no concern for Palestinian civilians in public and holds no leadership role on the issue. Counter-cases: 2/3, if he holds to aid that upholds international human rights law; 1/2, since he pairs it with Israel’s self-defense and the full 2016 aid agreement.
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elect26 places 2026 midterm candidates on a six-tier spectrum, from 1 (most pro-Israel) to 6 (most critical of Israel).