Tonty “Manny” Rutinel was selected on Monday night by a House District 32 Democratic vacancy committee to replace former state Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, who was chosen by another vacancy committee in August to represent Senate District 21.

Michaelson Jenet succeeded Sen. Dominick Moreno of Commerce City, who resigned to take a position in the administration of Denver Mayor Mike Johnston. 

Rutinel had already filed to run for the HD32 seat in 2024, as Michaelson Jenet would have been term-limited next year.

Rutinel won on the first ballot over Luz “Lucy” Molina, who also ran for the Senate District 21 vacancy in August. Molina is a community organizer with the environmental group 350 Colorado.

Rutinel is a former environmental lawyer for EarthJustice and is now CEO and co-founder of Climate Refarm, which works toward encouraging farmers to transition to a plant-based food system.

During a candidate forum, he noted his environmental bona fides but said he will also work on education, particularly funding.

“I will take my approach” on problem-solving to improve the lives of those in Adams County, Rutinel said, also noting he was endorsed by both Moreno and Michaelson Jenet.

Jenet nominated Rutinel, with Moreno seconding the nomination.

Rutinel said he is infuriated by poverty, with so many people living paycheck to paycheck, including in his own family. He said economic anxiety makes him mad and that he will be a voice for those who have experienced poverty first hand.

He also said his work style is collaborative, calling himself a “productivity guru” who will keep people up to date and to be a listener first. 

The vacancy committee has 34 members, with 29 attending Monday’s election.

Rutinel won on the first ballot on a 23-5 vote.

During the forum, Molina noted her long-time activism in the community.

“I’m not one to give up,” she said.

She lauded her community roots and said she would be devoted to human rights, environmental justice, transportation, renewable energy and jobs, and not leaving her community behind.

“We need affordable living, not just affordable housing,” she added. 

In a question on work style, Molina called herself a social butterfly, one who will listen to those doing the work on a daily basis. She pledged to deal with the job of a state representative “with a mother’s heart.”

Molina was nominated by former state Rep. Joe Salazar, with the nomination seconded by Steve Douglas.

With Rutinel’s appointment, the House now has 36 women to 29 men. The Senate has 13 women to 22 men, so the General Assembly’s 50-50 balance from the early days of the 2023 session drops to 49 women to 51 men.