Boyd Kevin Rutherford (born April 1, 1957) is an American politician, businessman and attorney serving as the ninth
lieutenant governor of Maryland
The lieutenant governor of Maryland is the second highest-ranking official in the executive branch of the Government of Maryland, state government of Maryland in the United States. The officeholder is elected on the same ticket as the governor of ...
since 2015.
A member of the
Republican Party, Rutherford was nominated by President
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
to serve as Associate Administrator in the U.S.
General Services Administration
The General Services Administration (GSA) is an independent agency of the United States government established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. GSA supplies products and communications for U.S. gover ...
, serving from 2001 to 2003. Rutherford then joined the administration of Governor
Bob Ehrlich
Robert Leroy Ehrlich Jr. (born November 25, 1957) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 60th Governor of Maryland from 2003 to 2007. A Republican, Ehrlich represented Maryland's 2nd Congressional district in the U.S. House o ...
, serving as the
Secretary of General Services from 2003 to 2006. He served as Assistant Secretary for Administration to the
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the United States federal executive departments, federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, ...
from 2006 to 2009.
Early life and education
Rutherford was born in
Washington, D.C.
)
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, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, and graduated from
Archbishop Carroll High School. He holds a bachelor's degree in economics and political science from
Howard University
Howard University (Howard) is a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" and accredited by the Middle States Commissi ...
, which he earned in 1979. In 1990, Rutherford earned both a
Juris Doctor
The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law
and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...
degree and a master's degree in communications management from the
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
.
Rutherford is a member of the State Bars of California and Maryland, as well as the District of Columbia bar. He has practiced law in Southern California, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. He has been serving since January 21, 2015.
Career
Business career
In addition to his public service, Rutherford has a broad career in law and business. At the time of his election in 2014, Rutherford served as an attorney with the firm of Benton Potter & Murdock, which has offices in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. He served as Associate Administrator for the U.S. General Services Administration; during his time there, he worked with small businesses in government and improving the agency. Rutherford served as the Secretary of the Maryland Department of General Services. He was responsible for over $900 million in annual contract administration, while finding creative ways to save the taxpayers of Maryland money and completing expansion of State buildings.
Additionally, following the resignation of Michael J. Harrison,
Rutherford was nominated by
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
as Assistant Secretary for Administration for the
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the United States federal executive departments, federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, ...
(USDA), where he was able to save millions of taxpayer dollars. He has also worked in information technology sales, and small and minority business development. Rutherford previously served on the Baltimore City
Brownfields
In urban planning, brownfield land is any previously developed land that is not currently in use. It may be potentially contaminated, but this is not required for the area to be considered brownfield. The term is also used to describe land prev ...
Redevelopment Council and on the Board of the
Corridor Transportation Corporation.
Political career and civic associations
Rutherford served on the
Howard County Republican Central Committee from 1996 to 2002 and was a delegate to the
Republican National Convention
The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the United States Republican Party. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal of the Repu ...
in 2000. From 2009 to 2011, Rutherford served as
Chief Administrative Officer
A chief administrative officer (CAO) is a top-tier executive who supervises the daily operations of an organization and is ultimately responsible for its performance.
Government and non-profit
A CAO is responsible for administrative management of ...
of the
Republican National Committee
The Republican National Committee (RNC) is a U.S. political committee that assists the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican brand and political platform, as well as assisting in fu ...
.
Tenure as lieutenant governor
Rutherford is the third consecutive African American elected to the office of Lieutenant Governor in Maryland. While Governor
Larry Hogan
Lawrence Joseph Hogan Jr. (born May 25, 1956) is an American politician and businessman serving as the 62nd governor of Maryland since 2015. A moderate member of the Republican Party, he was secretary of appointments under Maryland governor Bo ...
was going through treatment for lymphoma, Rutherford often acted as governor. In December 2015, he criticized
fantasy football sites, voicing his opinion that they were gambling sites. As a candidate, Rutherford was noted as someone who would “make the trains run on time” and for his focus on making the government more effective.
2022 Maryland gubernatorial election
Rutherford declined running for governor in
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...
.
Personal life
Rutherford and his wife Monica live in
Columbia, Maryland
Columbia is a census-designated place in Howard County, Maryland. It is one of the principal communities of the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area. It is a planned community consisting of 10 self-contained villages.
Columbia began with ...
, and they have three adult children.
See also
*
List of African-American Republicans
The following is a list of African-American Republicans, past and present. This list is limited to black Americans who have worked in a direct, professional capacity in politics.
A
* David Abner (1826–1902), Republican State Representative ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rutherford, Boyd
1957 births
20th-century American businesspeople
21st-century American businesspeople
21st-century American politicians
African-American people in Maryland politics
African-American state cabinet secretaries
Archbishop Carroll High School (Washington, D.C.) alumni
George W. Bush administration personnel
Howard University alumni
Lieutenant Governors of Maryland
Living people
Maryland Republicans
People from Columbia, Maryland
People from Washington, D.C.
State cabinet secretaries of Maryland
United States Department of Agriculture officials
USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism alumni
Black conservatism in the United States