John Guiher Hutchinson (born February 4, 1935) is a retired
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...
, who served briefly as a member of the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
from
West Virginia's 3rd congressional district
West Virginia's 3rd congressional district is a U.S. congressional district in southern West Virginia. The district covers the state's second-largest city, Huntington; includes Bluefield, Princeton, and Beckley; and has a long history of coa ...
. He is a
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
.
Hutchinson was born in
Charleston. He graduated from
West Virginia University
West Virginia University (WVU) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Beckley, Potomac State Coll ...
in
Morgantown in 1956. Before entering politics, he served from 1956 to 1958 in the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...
, and rose to rank of
first lieutenant
First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment.
The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a ...
.
Hutchinson's public service career began in 1967, when he became Charleston treasurer, a post he held until 1971. He then served as
Mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
of Charleston, the capital of West Virginia, from 1971 until 1980.
When longtime Congressman and fellow Democrat
John M. Slack, Jr. died in office on March 17, 1980, Hutchinson won the special election to fill Slack's vacancy in Congress. His short tenure began on June 30, 1980, and ended on January 3, 1981.
Hutchinson was defeated for his bid for his own full term by
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
nominee
Mick Staton. However, Staton himself served only one term before being defeated by Democrat
Bob Wise
Robert Ellsworth Wise Jr. (born January 6, 1948) is an American politician who served as the 33rd Governor of West Virginia from 2001 to 2005. A member of the Democratic Party, Wise also served in the United States House of Representatives fro ...
. This brought about a very rare situation in the U.S. House, where three men represented the same district within a three-year period, from 1980 to 1983. In sharp contrast, the last of those men, Wise, went on to serve for nine terms before becoming governor in 2001.
After leaving politics, Hutchinson became a business executive in Charleston, where he currently resides.
See also
*
List of mayors of Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston is the capital and most populous city of West Virginia. Located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha rivers, the city had a population of 48,864 at the 2020 census and an estimated population of 48,018 in 2021. The Charlest ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hutchinson, John Guiher
1935 births
Military personnel from West Virginia
Businesspeople from Charleston, West Virginia
Living people
Mayors of Charleston, West Virginia
United States Air Force officers
West Virginia University alumni
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from West Virginia
20th-century American politicians
City and town treasurers in the United States
20th-century American businesspeople