Manuel worked as a school teacher for 15 years, teaching high school Spanish.[1][2] They founded the nonprofit Queer Northshore alongside Jeremy JF Thompson.[3][4][5] Manuel is the Director of Operations for the Louisiana Abortion Fund and a spokesperson for the St. Tammany Library Alliance.[2][6][7]
Manuel announced their candidacy to the House of Representatives in 2023, running against republican majority leader Steve Scalise.[5][8] They focused their campaign on economic issues, like universal basic income, education reform, and LGBTQ issues.[1][7] On October 23, Manuel received national attention after releasing a campaign add which depicted them injecting testosterone to raise awareness for LGBTQ rights in Louisiana.[6][9]