Dan Rutherford (born May 26, 1955) is an American politician who served as the 73rd
Treasurer of Illinois
The Treasurer of Illinois is an elected official of the U.S. state of Illinois. The office was created by the Constitution of Illinois.
Current Occupant
The current Treasurer of Illinois is Democrat Mike Frerichs. He was first elected to head t ...
from 2011 to 2015. A member of the
Republican Party, he previously was the
Illinois State Senator
The Illinois Senate is the upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the State of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. Under the I ...
from the 53rd district from 2003 to 2011 and a member of the
Illinois House of Representatives
The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The House under the current constitution as amended in 1980 consists of 118 re ...
from 1993 to 2003.
Early life and education
Rutherford was born in
Pontiac Pontiac may refer to:
*Pontiac (automobile), a car brand
*Pontiac (Ottawa leader) ( – 1769), a Native American war chief
Places and jurisdictions Canada
*Pontiac, Quebec, a municipality
** Apostolic Vicariate of Pontiac, now the Roman Catholic D ...
,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
. During elementary and high school Rutherford worked at his parents' pizza restaurant. and attended
Pontiac Township High School. Following high school, Rutherford attended
Illinois State University
Illinois State University (ISU) is a public university in Normal, Illinois. Founded in 1857 as Illinois State Normal University, it is the oldest public university in Illinois. The university emphasizes teaching and is recognized as one of th ...
. While at Illinois State University, Rutherford was elected Student Body President.
Business career
While on a business trip to
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
in 1984, Rutherford became familiar with the
ServiceMaster Company. One year later, he joined the
Downers Grove
Downers Grove is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. It was founded in 1832 by Pierce Downer, whose surname serves as the eponym for the village. It is a south-west suburb of Chicago. The village is located between I-88 and I-55. ...
, Illinois-headquartered company as an executive. Rutherford eventually became responsible for expansion of the company's businesses internationally, licensing services in
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
,
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
,
Honduras
Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
,
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
,
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
,
Guam
Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
,
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
,
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
, and a host of other countries.
ServiceMaster
ServiceMaster Brands is an American privately held company owned by Roark Capital Group that provides residential and commercial services. Its headquarters are located in Atlanta, Georgia, after moving there in 2020 from Memphis, Tennessee.
Br ...
is a family of service companies that operated with trade names such as ServiceMaster clean,
Terminix
Terminix International Company, L.P. is one of the largest pest control companies in the world, operating in 47 states in the United States and 22 countries around the world. It is a subsidiary of England-based Rentokil Initial.
History
In 1927, ...
,
Tru-Green Chem Lawn,
Merry Maids,
American Home Shield
American Home Shield Corporation is an American home warranty company based in Memphis, Tennessee. It administers home warranty contracts on major home systems and appliances.
Overview
American Home Shield was founded in 1971 and operated in ...
, and
Rescue Rooter during this period.
Political career
Early political career
In 1978, Rutherford served as a legislative aide to then-State Representative
Thomas W. Ewing. During the
1980 Republican Party presidential primaries
From January 21 to June 3, 1980, voters of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party chose its nominee for President of the United States, president in the 1980 United States presidential election. Retired Hollywood actor and two-term ...
, Rutherford coordinated a congressional district for the
campaign of Ronald Reagan. He eventually became the statewide executive director in Illinois. After a brief stint working for Governor
James R. Thompson
James Robert Thompson Jr. (May 8, 1936 – August 14, 2020), also known as Big Jim Thompson, was an American attorney and politician who served as the 37th governor of Illinois from 1977 to 1991. A moderate Republican who sometimes took more ...
, Rutherford managed the 1982 campaign of
Ty Fahner, whom Thompson had appointed to the position of
Illinois Attorney General
The Illinois Attorney General is the highest legal officer of the state of Illinois in the United States. Originally an appointed office, it is now an office filled by statewide election. Based in Chicago and Springfield, Illinois, the attorney ...
. After Fahner's loss, Rutherford returned to Thompson's administration, this time as the manager for the International Business Division of the
Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs.
In 1991,
Robert Mosbacher
Robert Adam Mosbacher Sr. (March 11, 1927 – January 24, 2010) was an American businessman, accomplished yacht racer, and a Republican politician. A longtime friend and political ally of George H. W. Bush, Mosbacher served in Bush's Cabinet a ...
, the
U.S. Secretary of Commerce
The United States secretary of commerce (SecCom) is the head of the United States Department of Commerce. The secretary serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all matters relating to commerce. The secretary rep ...
, appointed Rutherford to the International Service Advisory Committee. The committee was tasked with reviewing various American trade deals and the
General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs.
Illinois General Assembly
Rutherford defeated incumbent
Les Conkling in the 1992 Republican primary. In an unusually competitive general election for the otherwise staunchly Republican area of the state, Democratic candidate and basketball coach Chuck Rolinski came within two percentage points of defeating Rutherford. Rutherford eventually became Assistant Republican Leader.
In the 2002 Republican primary, Rutherford defeated Brian Heller, a member of the Tazewell County Board, for the Republican nomination for the newly drawn 53rd district. In the Senate, Rutherford served as the ranking Republican for the Financial Institutions Committee and was a member of the Environment & Energy Committee. Senator Rutherford also served on the bi-partisan Joint Committee on Administrative Rules.
As a lawmaker, Rutherford sponsored and directed legislation which changed the formula for reimbursing nursing homes for care of the elderly. The new system bases rates on the medical needs of the resident, rather than just their geographic location in the state.
Political campaigns
During the
2008 Republican Party presidential primaries
From January 3 to June 3, 2008, voters of the Republican Party chose their nominee for president in the 2008 United States presidential election. Senator John McCain of Arizona was selected as the nominee through a series of primary electio ...
, Rutherford served as the Illinois state chairman for the
presidential campaign
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese fu ...
of
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American politician, businessman, and lawyer serving as the junior United States senator from Utah since January 2019, succeeding Orrin Hatch. He served as the 70th governor of Massachusetts f ...
. Rutherford was also on Romney's delegate slate for
Illinois's 15th congressional district
The 15th congressional district of Illinois is currently located in central Illinois.
It was located in eastern and southeastern Illinois until 2022. It is currently represented by Republican Mary Miller.
With a Cook Partisan Voting Index r ...
.
2006 Illinois Secretary of State campaign
On September 12, 2005, Rutherford officially announced his campaign for the office of Illinois
Secretary of State. Rutherford faced incumbent
Democratic Illinois Secretary of State
Jesse White, of
Jesse White Tumbling Team
The Jesse White Tumbling Team is a team of acrobats that was founded in 1959 by Illinois athlete and politician Jesse White and Zach Mitchell. Their acrobatic performances, choreographed by Mitchell, can frequently be seen during half-time show ...
fame, and
Green Party
A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence.
Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation ...
candidate Karen Young Peterson, in the November, 2006 election, but lost to Jesse White.
2010 Illinois Treasurer campaign
Rutherford won the open seat of Illinois Treasurer. Also running were Democratic nominee
Robin Kelly
Robin Lynne Kelly (born April 30, 1956) is an American politician from Illinois who has served as the U.S. representative from since 2013. A Democrat, Kelly served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 2003 to 2007. She then served as ...
,
Green Party
A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence.
Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation ...
Party nominee Scott K. Summers and
Libertarian
Libertarianism (from french: libertaire, "libertarian"; from la, libertas, "freedom") is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and minimize the state's e ...
nominee James Pauly.
2014 Governor
![Dan Rutherford for Governor](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Dan_Rutherford_for_Governor.png)
On June 2, 2013, Rutherford officially announced his candidacy for
Governor of Illinois
The governor of Illinois is the head of government of Illinois, and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction, as prescribed in the state constitution. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by p ...
. His running mate was attorney Steve Kim.
Rutherford lost in the 4-way Republican primary to businessman
Bruce Rauner
Bruce Vincent Rauner (; born February 18, 1956) is an American businessman, philanthropist, and politician who served as the 42nd governor of Illinois from 2015 to 2019. Prior to his election, he was the chairman of R8 Capital Partners and chai ...
, taking 7.55% of the vote.
2014 scandal
In February 2014, a former employee of Rutherford, Edmund Michalowski, filed a federal complaint alleging that Rutherford had sexually harassed him and had pressured him to do political work on state time. The complaint was filed just a few weeks before Rutherford was scheduled to face off against the other contenders in the Republican gubernatorial primary. Rutherford denied all allegations and charged that they were the work of his political opponent,
Bruce Rauner
Bruce Vincent Rauner (; born February 18, 1956) is an American businessman, philanthropist, and politician who served as the 42nd governor of Illinois from 2015 to 2019. Prior to his election, he was the chairman of R8 Capital Partners and chai ...
. Rutherford vowed that he would continue on in the race A judge dismissed some of Michalowski's claims, such as Michalowski being forced to do political work on state time and Michalowski re-filed in April 2016, alleging harassment by Rutherford and four others. In November 2017, attorneys for Rutherford and Michalowski agreed that the lawsuit be "dismissed without prejudice", meaning that it could be re-filed.
Personal
Rutherford has never been married. He has crewed in many
Chicago-to-Mackinac Island races and is an Advanced Certified Diver. Rutherford has traveled to all seven continents.
Electoral history
*2010 election for Treasurer of Illinois
**Dan Rutherford (R), 49.9%
**
Robin Kelly
Robin Lynne Kelly (born April 30, 1956) is an American politician from Illinois who has served as the U.S. representative from since 2013. A Democrat, Kelly served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 2003 to 2007. She then served as ...
(D), 45.1%
**Scott Summers (G), 3.2%
**James Pauly (L), 1.9%
*2006 election for Secretary of State of Illinois
**
Jesse White (D) (inc.), 62%
**Dan Rutherford (R), 34%
References
External links
*
*
Dan Rutherfordat
Ballotpedia
Ballotpedia is a nonprofit and nonpartisan online political encyclopedia that covers federal, state, and local politics, elections, and public policy in the United States. The website was founded in 2007. Ballotpedia is sponsored by the Lucy Bur ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rutherford, Dan
1955 births
Republican Party Illinois state senators
Illinois State University alumni
Living people
Republican Party members of the Illinois House of Representatives
People from Pontiac, Illinois
State treasurers of Illinois
21st-century American politicians