John Rutherford (Florida politician)
John Henry Rutherford is an American politician and former sheriff who is currently serving in the United States House of Representatives for Florida's 4th congressional district, which encompasses most of Jacksonville and most of its suburbs in Nassau County and St. Johns counties, including St. Augustine. He was an officer with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office before serving as the Duval County Sheriff from 2003 to 2015. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Early life and education
John Rutherford was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1952. Rutherford's father was in the US Navy and was serving in Korea at the time of his son's birth. In the 1950s, Rutherford's family moved to Jacksonville, Florida. He worked as a grocery stock clerk after graduating from high school. He surfed in his free time. In 1972, he earned his Associate of Science in criminology from Florida State College at Jacksonville, formerly Florida Junior College, followed by his Bachelor of Science in criminology from Florida State University in 1974.Jacksonville Sheriff's Office
Rutherford joined the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office in 1974 and rose to the rank of Captain. He has commanded a number of divisions, including Arson, Burglary, the Police Academy and Patrol on the Southside. He also served as Chief of Services, Traffic and Special Operations, and Chief of Patrol.In 1995, Rutherford was appointed as Director of Corrections under then-Sheriff Nat Glover and held that title for 8 years.
Rutherford ran for the office of Jacksonville Sheriff in 2003. A candidate for the Jacksonville City Council filed a complaint against Rutherford in February, alleging violations of the Federal Hatch Act of 1939, which prohibits employees working for federally funded agencies from running for office in partisan elections. Rutherford consulted a lawyer, and was told there was no conflict, but retired anyway, in order to remove any doubt, with 28 years of service. Rutherford subsequently won the election, becoming the Sheriff of Jacksonville on July 1, 2003.
U.S. House of Representatives
2016 campaign
Rutherford announced his candidacy for Florida's 4th congressional district on April 15, 2016. Originally he announced he would run for Florida's 6th congressional district in 2015. On August 30, 2016, he won the Republican primary with 38.7% of the vote, beating Lake Ray, Hans Tanzler III and Bill McClure. He faced David Bruderly in the general election and won, becoming only the fifth person to represent this district since its creation in 1943.Tenure
On January 11, 2017, Rutherford collapsed on the floor of the House, in what was described as an "acute digestive flare up".He was taken to the hospital, and was released January 21.
He is a member of the Republican Main Street Partnership and the Congressional NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Homeland Security
- * Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security
- * Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications
- Committee on Veterans' Affairs
- * Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity
- * Subcommittee on Health
Political positions
Gun policy
Rutherford supports concealed carry reciprocity, voting for two such measures in the House in November 2017.In 2017, Rutherford signed a letter to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives expressing his support for legislation to ban bump stocks.
From 2015 to 2016, Rutherford received $1,000 in campaign donations from the NRA's Political Victory Fund.
In 2018, Rutherford sponsored a bill to "strengthen school safety and security", which required a two-thirds vote for passage, as it was brought up under an expedited process. The House voted 407-10 to approve the bill, which would provide $50 million a year for "a new federal grant program to train students, teachers and law enforcement on how to spot and report signs of gun violence". Named STOP School Violence Act, it would "develop anonymous telephone and online systems where people could report threats of violence." At the same time, it would authorize $25 million for schools to "improve and harden their security, such as installing new locks, lights, metal detectors and panic buttons." A separate spending bill would be required to provide money for the grant program.
Federal budget
Rutherford supports a balanced budget amendment and wants to see a smaller federal government, an end to corporate welfare, and "out-of-control" federal regulatory overreach. He also wants to see a stop to new spending until the budget is balanced.Human rights
Rutherford supports efforts regarding LGBT rights and says "I don't believe that anyone should be discriminated against because of who they are or whom they love." He believes that the federal government has a duty to implement "careful...non-discriminatory operations" including protections for LGBT people. However, he voted against the Equality Act in 2019.Social issues
Cannabis
Rutherford is against legalizing marijuana. He voted against medicinal marijuana legalization in Florida in 2014, believing after legalizing medical marijuana recreational marijuana would be next.Crime
Rutherford is "skeptical" of shorter prison sentences for nonviolent drug offenses.He authored the Students, Teachers and Officers Prevent School Violence Act, that would "authorize $50 million a year in new federal grants to help educate students, faculty and law enforcement learn how to spot and report warning signs of potential gun violence." As of March 2018, he reportedly has been "pressing leadership and appropriators" to include said funding for the bipartisan bill in the omnibus spending bill.
Immigration and refugees
Rutherford supports increased border security and immigration reform. He calls "immigration the lifeblood of American history." He says "ignoring illegal immigration is foolish, dangerous, and erodes public and international confidence in our rule of law." He supports providing avenues to enable immigrants and refugees to move to America, including using E-Verify. Rutherford wants the federal government to invest funding to communities to assist with refugee relocations.Tax reform
Rutherford voted in favor of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Rutherford claims that new tax plan will benefit "hardworking Americans" and that it is "a good thing for taxpayers, it’s a good thing for business, it’s gunna be great for our economy."Offshore drilling
Rutherford opposes offshore drilling on the Atlantic coast. Rutherford joined former Democrat Jeff Van Drew to introduce the Atlantic Coastal Economies Protection Act, which would prohibit seismic air gun testing in the Atlantic Ocean.Elections
Rutherford campaigned for Duval County sheriff, running against fellow Republicans David Anderson and Lem Sharp. In the election on April 15, 2003, Rutherford won 135,038 votes, 78 percent of the total. He took office on July 1, 2003. Rutherford was re-elected in 2007 and 2011.On August 30, 2016, he won the Republican Primary for Florida's 4th Congressional District.