Meet Manny

I’m a longtime advocate and attorney who grew up working class. And now I’m working to ensure our communities have an honest shot at success.

Family

A woman and a young man taking a selfie outdoors, with trees and buildings in the background.
A woman with dark, curly hair smiling while holding a young child with short dark hair. They are indoors in front of a wooden-paneled wall.
Two boys playing baseball outdoors, with one boy holding a bat and the other squatting with a baseball glove, in a park with trees and a person sitting on a bench in the background.

I am my mother’s son. Not a day goes by that I’m not in awe of her capacity for sacrifice and love. She immigrated to the United States from Latin America as a single mother to give my brother and me a better life. She taught me the power of perseverance, a strong work ethic, and being a practical problem solver.

My mom also showed me the injustice of being forced to choose between paying rent or receiving healthcare. Nobody should be forced to make that choice in the world's richest nation. After years of living paycheck to paycheck, during the Great Recession, the bank foreclosed on our home.

A woman and a man dressed in formal attire, posing together for a portrait. The woman is wearing earrings and a light-colored dress, and the man is wearing a tuxedo with a bow tie.
A young child smiling and wearing a black and red hat, sitting on an older man's lap. The man is smiling, with his eyes closed, leaning his head on his hand, wearing a striped shirt. They are indoors with a wooden door and light-colored wall in the background.
Black and white photo of an elderly woman with short, curly hair wearing glasses and a floral blouse.
Photograph of a man with dark hair and mustache, wearing a light-colored shirt, framed and mounted on a yellowish wall.

Nothing about my family’s story was ordinary. My Black grandfathers taught me how to navigate the prejudices of the world with kindness and love. The same compassion that overcame cultural barriers and won over the families of my white grandmothers.

Everyone knew my grandparents as the most loving and helpful people anyone had ever met. They never missed an opportunity to feed hungry neighbors or provide a place to stay for a family struggling to make ends meet. They taught me the power and importance of community and taking care of your neighbor. These values are deeply ingrained in me and guide me in every decision I make.

Education & Career

A young man in a graduation cap and gown with a colorful stole stands next to a woman in a yellow blouse, both smiling. They are outside in front of a blue Yale Law School sign at 127 Wall Street, with a stone building and greenery in the background.
A smiling teenage McDonald's employee wearing a blue uniform and gray cap behind the counter at the ordering station, with other staff working in the kitchen area in the background, and digital menu boards displaying food options overhead.

I spent my first semester in college sleeping on my friends’ couches and floors to afford my education. I worked as a substitute teacher during college to help pay my tuition. I soon graduated with Bachelor’s degrees in Microbiology and Economics. After college, I became an Economist for the US Army Corps of Engineers, where I also served as a First Responder in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.

I went on to graduate with a Master’s in Economics from Johns Hopkins University and a law degree from Yale Law School. After law school, I became an attorney who defended our communities against large corporations breaking the law. I now represent the good people of Adams County in the Colorado State House, fighting for our hardworking families and defending the rights and freedoms of every Coloradan.

Group of construction workers and inspectors wearing safety vests and helmets, examining equipment outside on a construction site.
A soldier in uniform and a man in a suit shaking hands and holding a certificate of achievement together in an office.

From a young age, I understood the value of hard work. I took every opportunity I could to help my family and cut the cost of my college education. By the end of high school, I had completed my second year working at McDonald’s, was a tutor at Kumon Learning Center, and took enough courses at my local community college to receive my Associate’s degree a month after my high school graduation. I even sold my plasma twice a week, and a scar on my arm serves as a testament to the hundreds of times I exchanged my blood to pay my family’s bills.

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