Republicans are targeting their opponents in battleground races with a new strategy: labeling them as vegans.
In Colorado’s 8th District, a key area for beef production, Democratic nominee Manny Rutinel faces accusations of promoting veganism for a decade and insulting the agricultural community. Alexandria Cullen, spokesperson for GOP Rep. Gabe Evans, emphasized these points.
Rutinel, during his undergraduate years, appeared shirtless in a PETA banner and described animal agriculture as a “horrific, exploitive industry” while at Yale Law, according to the Colorado Sun. In deleted 2017 Reddit posts, he suggested veganism as a solution to high food prices and supported a movement against animal slaughter for food.
Rutinel has clarified that he is no longer vegan. “Manny’s views from nearly a decade ago do not reflect his current beliefs,” stated Clay Volino, his campaign manager, highlighting Rutinel’s focus on reducing family expenses.
Elsewhere, Republicans are attempting to ignite a culture war around meat consumption. Pointing out Democrats’ past veganism serves both economic and cultural purposes, especially as some Republicans and MAHA activists advocate for a more meat-based diet.
According to Anang Mittal, a Republican strategist who consumes meat, “Being a vegan is perceived as soft. It’s easier to label an opponent as left-leaning than to debate policy details.”
In Iowa’s 2nd District, known for its cattle and hog farms, Republicans are resurfacing a social media post by Democratic nominee Lindsay James, who supported “Meatless May” to show solidarity with meat processing workers and farmed animals.
James criticized corporate meatpacking plants for poor employee safety in a 2020 Facebook post, suggesting either “Meatless May” or supporting local farmers as a response.
NRCC spokesperson Emily Tuttle stated that James must address her supposed “anti-farming record.”
However, Jackson Smith, representing James, asserted her alignment with Iowa farmers and her commitment to lowering costs and countering corporate power to benefit families.
Even in areas without significant agricultural interests, Republicans are highlighting meat consumption. In Arizona’s 1st District, based in suburban Phoenix, Democratic nominee Amish Shah faces scrutiny for his veganism and animal rights initiatives. Shah, a physician, identifies as an “animal advocate” and a “vegan” in his Instagram bio. He established the Arizona Vegetarian Food Festival, where he claimed in a 2015 speech that meat consumption could lead to cancer.
Eve Zhurbinskiy, Shah’s campaign manager, stated that Shah has consistently protected animals and plans to continue advocating for both animal rights and cost reductions for Arizonans if elected.
In the Texas U.S. Senate race, Attorney General Ken Paxton’s campaign repeatedly plays a video of state Rep. James Talarico discussing the necessity to “reduce our meat consumption.” Talarico refuted claims of being vegan by sharing a post of himself enjoying BBQ and remarked at a San Antonio rally, “They’ve even called me a vegan, and those are fighting words in the state of Texas.”
Republicans have polled on these meat industry comments in at least one of the highlighted House races, planning to incorporate them into their fall advertising, according to a Republican operative who chose to remain anonymous.
Notably, Republicans have not targeted some of their own who abstain from meat, such as Vivek Ramaswamy, the GOP gubernatorial candidate in Ohio, who is vegetarian for religious and ethical reasons. Ramaswamy, who is Hindu, has expressed that he doesn’t expect others to follow his dietary choices.
Democrats have largely disregarded the attacks. Valeria Ojeda-Avitia, spokesperson for the BOLD PAC supporting Rutinel, commented, “After cutting SNAP and leaving millions of kids without access to food, Republicans are focusing on candidates’ diets from years ago to distract Americans.”
However, such attacks could resonate in rural areas.
Joe Maxwell, former Democratic lieutenant governor of Missouri and leader of the Farm Action Fund, noted, “They use those message points to try to put fear in the hearts of the people. In rural America, it’s not uncommon for me to hear someone pronounce vegan ‘vay-gun.’ They don’t have an understanding, and it disturbs them. It sounds like something foreign. And so it is a tactic to distract from the real issues.”
A version of this article first appeared in POLITICO Pro’s Morning Score. Want to receive the newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You’ll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day’s biggest stories.
