John Henry Rutherford

Republican Representative of Florida's 5th district

Representative
Florida, district 4
January 3, 2017 - January 3, 2019
Representative
Florida, district 4
January 3, 2019 - January 3, 2021
Representative
Florida, district 4
January 3, 2021 - January 3, 2023
Representative
Florida, district 5
January 3, 2023 - January 3, 2025

202-225-2501

@RepRutherfordFL

rutherford.house.gov

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Congresses Served

House Terms

January 1, 1952 (72 years old)

Birthday

Former police officer with four decades of service at the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office
Served as Duval County sheriff from 2003 to 2015
Elected as U.S. representative in 2016 and has been reelected in subsequent elections
Born in Omaha, Nebraska, and moved to Jacksonville, Florida, in the 1950s
Graduated with a degree in criminology from Florida State University
His tenure as sheriff saw both increases and decreases in crime rates, with efforts focused on improving mental health responses and a prisoner reentry program
Criticized for tensions between the African American community and police, as well as a high number of police shootings
Has served on the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Ethics in Congress
Involved in an ethics investigation for late disclosure of stock transactions
Aligned closely with President Donald Trump, supporting many of his policies and positions
Sponsored legislation aimed at preventing school violence and has expressed support for gun rights
Acknowledges climate change but questions the consensus on human activity as the cause, and has taken action against offshore drilling
Supported efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act and opposed inquiries into passengers’ vaccination status on domestic flights
Voted against the Equality Act, which seeks to prevent discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity
Skeptical of reducing prison sentences for nonviolent drug offenses and has called Black Lives Matter a “hate group”
Opposes capital punishment based on his Catholic faith
Supported the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and has focused on military and foreign policy issues relevant to his district
Defended Trump’s controversial statements and actions, and supported efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results
Opposed legislation to end family separations at the U.S.-Mexico border but welcomed the policy’s reversal
Introduced legislation to create a path to citizenship for E-2 Treaty Investor Visa holders
Opposes abortion and the legalization of recreational marijuana
Supports the use of earmarks and has called for changes to Senate rules to reduce gridlock
Married with two children and six grandchildren, and practices Catholicism