Manuel José Gómez Rufino (c. 1820–1882) was an Argentine politician who was governor of San Juan Province, Argentina between 1857 and 1858 and again between 1873 and 1874.

The Unitarians, supported financially by their friends in Buenos Aires, won the elections, enacted a provincial constitution, and on 8 September 1857 appointed Gómez Rufino as Governor.

He set about organizing public institutions - many of which were not enacted as he had designed - and modified and modernized the tax and accounting system of the province.

For defense against troops loyal to Benavídez, Gómez created a National Guard, or urban militia, led by liberal officers.

Benavídez refused to cede control of the provincial armed forces, on the grounds that he was the commander of the Army of the West of the Confederation of Argentina.

The most bitter of Benavídez's enemies was Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, who openly urged Benavidez's death in the Buenos Aires press.

The war culminated in the Battle of Cepeda (23 October 1859), and was terminated with the Pact of San José de Flores and the reform of the 1853 Constitution.

Gomez returned to San Juan in late 1860 and took part in the revolution that ended the life and government of Governor José Antonio Virasoro.

The federal government sent an intervention led by the Minister Uladislao Frías, who openly launched a new candidate: Manuel José Gómez Rufino.

But a simmering rivalry with President Sarmiento, who sought to control the Autonomist Party from the capital, caused loss of national support and funding for his initiatives.

Since he refused, after his victory in the First battle of Santa Rosa, Arredondo invaded San Juan and deposed the governor, who fled to Chile.