James Todd Rutherford (born October 10, 1970 in
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 census, it is the second-largest city in South Carolina. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the city ...
) is an American politician and
Democratic member of the
South Carolina House of Representatives, representing the 74th District since 1999. He is the Minority Leader of the House.
Early life and education
Rutherford graduated from W.J. Keenan High School in 1988. Rutherford earned his bachelor's degree from
Howard University in 1992. He then worked as Legislative Assistant to Congressman
Robin Tallon
Robert Mooneyhan "Robin" Tallon Jr. (born August 8, 1946) is an American businessman and politician who served as a United States representative from South Carolina. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
Early life and education
Born in Hem ...
before earning his
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 from the
University of South Carolina School of Law
The University of South Carolina School of Law, also known as South Carolina Law School, is a professional school within the University of South Carolina. The school of law was founded in 1867, and remains the only public and non-profit law schoo ...
in 1996.
After passing the bar, he worked as Assistant Solicitor and Special Prosecutor of Narcotic and Drug Cases in the Fifth Circuit Solicitor's Office. In 1998, he founded the Rutherford Law Firm.
South Carolina General Assembly
Rutherford was elected to the
South Carolina General Assembly
The South Carolina General Assembly, also called the South Carolina Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of South Carolina. The legislature is bicameral and consists of the lower South Carolina House of Representatives and t ...
in 1998 to represent House District 74. He initially served on the Military, Medical and Municipal Affairs Committee before joining the Judiciary Committee in 2002. Rutherford currently serves on the Ways and Means Committee and the Ethics Committee. In 2013, Rutherford was elected Minority Leader.
Rutherford was named Young Democrat of the year in 1999.
In 2007 Rutherford introduced a bill to replace the
Confederate battle flag with the South Carolina state flag. However, the bill never received a hearing. In June 2015 the flag was removed with the overwhelming support of the House Democratic Caucus.
Rutherford is a leading proponent of
medical marijuana
Medical cannabis, or medical marijuana (MMJ), is cannabis and cannabinoids that are prescribed by physicians for their patients. The use of cannabis as medicine has not been rigorously tested due to production and governmental restrictions ...
in the
South Carolina General Assembly
The South Carolina General Assembly, also called the South Carolina Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of South Carolina. The legislature is bicameral and consists of the lower South Carolina House of Representatives and t ...
. In 2014, Rutherford filed the "Put Patients First Act," the first of its kind in South Carolina.
References
External links
official SC House website*
*''Follow the Money'' – J. Todd Rutherford
20062004200220001998
campaign contributions
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rutherford, Todd
1970 births
20th-century African-American people
21st-century African-American politicians
21st-century American politicians
African-American state legislators in South Carolina
Howard University alumni
Lawyers from Columbia, South Carolina
Living people
Democratic Party members of the South Carolina House of Representatives
Politicians from Columbia, South Carolina
University of South Carolina School of Law alumni