Today, Colorado congressional candidate Manny Rutinel released a “Plan to Keep Our Communities Safe,” spotlighting his votes at the state Capitol for laws addressing sexual exploitation of children, child abuse, and drunk driving – as well as for funding law enforcement.
Rutinel, a Democrat, promises broadly in the plan that, if elected, he’ll “fight to keep Colorado families safe – just like he did in the state House,” funding law enforcement, and targeting “drug threats” and perpetrators of crimes, including white-collar crime.
“Manny believes in supporting state and local law enforcement, getting dangerous drugs like fentanyl off the streets, and cracking down on violent crime,” the plan states. “He also supports smart investments that prevent crime and keep Coloradans safe.”
The plan specifically pledges to “fully fund and reauthorize the COPS program, which enables local police departments across CO-08 to hire and retain officers, invest in training and modern equipment, and maintain fast response times.”
Rutinel, who was endorsed last week by Adams County Sheriff Gene Claps, issued his plan as his Republican opponent, U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans (R-CO) and his supporters are emphasizing crime on the campaign trail, accusing Rutinel of ignoring crime-related issues during his tenure at the Capitol.
In fact, as Rutinel points out in his plan, he voted to boost funding for the police and to protect kids and others. He touts voting for $2 billion for Colorado law enforcement, $350 million for police recruitment, training and retention – as well as $1 million for the families of police officers who are killed.
He voted for bills to fight human trafficking and child sex offenders — as well as a bill to protect child abuse victims.
“Every Coloradan deserves to feel safe in their community,” said Rutinel in a news release. “In the state House, I worked across party lines to invest in law enforcement, crack down on child predators, and stop human trafficking. I’m ready to take the same approach in Congress to keep families safe. That means making sure state and local police have the training and resources they need, stopping the flow of fentanyl and other drugs into our communities, and holding criminals accountable.”
Evans repeatedly blames Democrats in the Colorado legislature for crime problems, saying on the right-wing radio show Rush to Reason Sept. 6, for example, that the “guy that’s running against me that wants my seat is a sitting state legislator who’s rubber stamped all of those horrifying policies.”
Political observers say Evans is repeatedly talking about public safety — even though crime has mostly gone down in Colorado in recent years — to try to fight off the political headwinds of high gas prices, the Iran War, Trump, and other affordability issues that are hurting Republicans as the midterm election approaches.
“Manny Rutinel is committed to keeping our communities safe,” said Adams County District Attorney Brian Mason in a news release. “Manny worked across the aisle to protect children from predators and led a bipartisan effort to crack down on human trafficking in Colorado. Now, more than ever, we need leaders in Congress who are committed to the rule of law and to keeping our communities safe. Manny is such a leader.”
The winner of the battle between Evans and Rutinel, set in Colorado’s swing 8th Congressional District, north and east of Denver, will help determine which party controls the U.S. next year, after November’s midterms.
