Fox News reports that Manny Rutinel, a Democratic state legislator running for Congress in Colorado's 8th District, faces scrutiny over a long history of activism against ranching and animal-related businesses, even though the district he hopes to represent depends heavily on the cattle and dairy sector. The tension matters because he is challenging Republican Rep. Gabe Evans in one of the most competitive races in the country, and his past positions raise questions about the sincerity of his recently softened stance towards the meat industry.

In an interview with the Colorado Sun late last year, Rutinel said he had rethought his position, praising ranchers as "good stewards of the land" and calling them the "backbone" of the local economy while distancing himself only from "bad apples". Colorado's 8th District is the state's leading producer of beef cattle and dairy, making up 26% of output, with 75% of its 2.5 million acres devoted to farming and livestock. Republicans have seized on his record — including a stunt at age 21 when he stripped and wore a pro-vegan sign at an Earth Day event — with an RNC spokesperson mocking him as "Meatless Manny".