Dutch Ruppersberger
Encyclopedia
Charles Albert "Dutch" Ruppersberger III (born January 31, 1946) is the U.S. Representative
for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
The district covers parts of Baltimore County, Anne Arundel County, Harford County and Baltimore City, including Dundalk
, Towson
and Severn
.
and the University of Maryland, College Park
, where he played varsity lacrosse
. He earned his Juris Doctor
from the University of Baltimore School of Law
.
In 1975, Ruppersberger was involved in a near-fatal car accident while investigating a drug trafficking case. He currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of Visitors at the University of Maryland hospital where he was treated.
Ruppersberger began his career as a Baltimore County
Assistant State's Attorney. He was soon promoted to the Chief of the State's Attorney Office Investigative Division, pursuing organized crime
, political corruption
, and drug trafficking. He was elected to the Baltimore County Council in 1985 and was twice chosen as council chairman.
In December 1994 and again in 1998, Ruppersberger was elected Baltimore County Executive
.
Ruppersberger was the first Democratic freshman ever to be appointed to the House Select Committee on Intelligence.
As the ranking Democratic member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Ruppersberger is a member of the Gang of Eight
, a group of the Congressional leaders whom the President is required to keep informed about national intelligence activities.
, chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Armed Services Committee, and four other members of Congress visited American troops deployed in the southern Philippines
to overview the US-Philippines relationship. They drove to the base of the Joint Special Operation Task Force Philippines (JSOTFP), a US-led body, which trains Filipino soldiers against terror, in Barangay Upper Calarian.
for this initiative.
. The Maryland General Assembly
significantly altered the 2nd by shifting most of its share of Harford County to the 1st and 6th Districts. In its place, the legislature added a heavily Democratic portion of Baltimore City that had previously been in the 1st District. This turned the 2nd from a swing district into a strongly Democratic district. It was an open secret that the district was drawn for Ruppersberger; local media called the new district "the Dutch district." An August 2011 editorial by The Washington Post
describes the 2nd district as "curlicue territories strung together by impossibly delicate tendrils of land" and "a crazy-quilt confection drawn for the express purpose of ousting the incumbent at the time, Rep. (and later Gov.) Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., a Republican, and installing C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, a Democrat who still holds the job." He defeated Republican opponent Helen Delich Bentley
, who had represented the 2nd district from 1985 to 1995, with 55 percent of the vote. Ruppersberger has never faced another contest even that close, and has been reelected four times.
}
| General
|
| |Charles Albert Ruppersberger, III
| |Democratic
| |105,718
| |54.16
|
| |Helen Delich Bentley
| |Republican
| |88,954
| |45.57
|-
| 2004
|
|General
|
| |Charles Albert Ruppersberger, III
| |Democratic
| |164,751
| |66.62
|
| |Jane Brooks
| |Republican
| |75,812
| |30.66
|-
| 2006
|
| General
|
| |Charles Albert Ruppersberger, III
| |Democratic
| |135,818
| |69.21
|
| |Jimmy Mathis
| |Republican
| |60,195
| |30.68
|-
| 2008
|
| General
|
| |Charles Albert Ruppersberger, III
| |Democratic
| |198,578
| |71.9
|
| |Richard Pryce Matthews
| |Republican
| |68,561
| |24.8
|-
| 2010
|
| General
|
| |Charles Albert Ruppersberger, III
| |Democratic
| |134,133
| |64.21
|
| |Marcelo Cardarelli
| |Republican
| |69,523
| |33.28
|}
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
The district covers parts of Baltimore County, Anne Arundel County, Harford County and Baltimore City, including Dundalk
Dundalk, Maryland
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 62,306 people, 24,772 households, and 16,968 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 4,689.5 people per square mile . There were 26,385 housing units at an average density of 1,985.9 per square mile...
, Towson
Towson, Maryland
Towson is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 55,197 at the 2010 census...
and Severn
Severn, Maryland
Severn is a census-designated place in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. The population was 35,076 at the 2000 census, which is a 30 percent increase over the 24,499 population of 1990...
.
Early life, education and career
Ruppersberger attended Baltimore City CollegeBaltimore City College
The Baltimore City College , also referred to as The Castle on the Hill, historically as The College, and most commonly City, is a public high school in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A. The City College curriculum includes the International Baccalaureate Programme and emphasizes study in the classics...
and the University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
, where he played varsity lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
. He earned his Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from the University of Baltimore School of Law
University of Baltimore School of Law
University of Baltimore School of Law, or UB Law, is one of the three colleges that make up the University of Baltimore, which is part of the University System of Maryland. UB Law is one of only two law schools in the state of Maryland, the other law school being the University of Maryland School...
.
In 1975, Ruppersberger was involved in a near-fatal car accident while investigating a drug trafficking case. He currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of Visitors at the University of Maryland hospital where he was treated.
Ruppersberger began his career as a Baltimore County
Baltimore County, Maryland
Baltimore County is a county located in the northern part of the US state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 805,029. It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Towson. The name of the county was derived from the barony of the Proprietor of the Maryland...
Assistant State's Attorney. He was soon promoted to the Chief of the State's Attorney Office Investigative Division, pursuing organized crime
Organized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
, political corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
, and drug trafficking. He was elected to the Baltimore County Council in 1985 and was twice chosen as council chairman.
In December 1994 and again in 1998, Ruppersberger was elected Baltimore County Executive
Baltimore County Executive
The Baltimore County Executive is the highest elected official representing the government of Baltimore County, Maryland. The post was established with the implementation of the Home Rule Charter for Baltimore County on December 6, 1956...
.
U.S. House of Representatives
Committee assignments
- Committee on Armed ServicesUnited States House Committee on Armed Servicesthumb|United States House Committee on Armed Services emblemThe U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, commonly known as the House Armed Services Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives...
- Subcommittee on Strategic ForcesUnited States House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic ForcesHouse Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces is a subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee in the United States House of Representatives.-Jurisdiction:The Strategic Forces Subcommittee exercises oversight and legislative jurisdiction over:...
- Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
- Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
- Permanent Select Committee on IntelligenceUnited States House Permanent Select Committee on IntelligenceThe United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence is a committee of the United States House of Representatives, currently chaired by Mike Rogers. It is the primary committee in the U.S...
(Ranking Member)
Party leadership
- Assistant Whip
Ruppersberger was the first Democratic freshman ever to be appointed to the House Select Committee on Intelligence.
As the ranking Democratic member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Ruppersberger is a member of the Gang of Eight
Gang of Eight
The Gang of Eight is a common colloquial term for a set of eight leaders within the United States Congress. Specifically, the Gang of Eight includes the leaders of each of the two parties from both the Senate and House of Representatives, and the chairs and ranking minority members of both the...
, a group of the Congressional leaders whom the President is required to keep informed about national intelligence activities.
Philippines visit
On August 25, 2007, Ruppersberger joined Rep. Silvestre ReyesSilvestre Reyes
Silvestre "Silver" Reyes is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997, and the Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the primary Committee in the U.S...
, chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Armed Services Committee, and four other members of Congress visited American troops deployed in the southern Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
to overview the US-Philippines relationship. They drove to the base of the Joint Special Operation Task Force Philippines (JSOTFP), a US-led body, which trains Filipino soldiers against terror, in Barangay Upper Calarian.
Operations Hero Miles
Ruppersberger created the "Operation Hero Miles" program, which encourages people to donate unused frequent flyer miles to U.S. armed forces personnel and families. He won a Charles Dick Medal of MeritCharles Dick Medal of Merit
The Charles Dick Medal of Merit is awarded by the National Guard Association of the United States to elected officials in recognition of their contributions toward the National Guard. It was established in 1988 and named in honor Charles Dick, a Major General from the Ohio National Guard....
for this initiative.
Political campaigns
Barred from a third term as County Executive, Ruppersberger opted to run for Congress in 2002 after 2nd District Congressman Bob Ehrlich made what turned out to be a successful run for governorGovernor of Maryland
The Governor of Maryland heads the executive branch of the government of Maryland, and he is the commander-in-chief of the state's National Guard units. The Governor is the highest-ranking official in the state, and he has a broad range of appointive powers in both the State and local governments,...
. The Maryland General Assembly
Maryland General Assembly
The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is a bicameral body. The upper chamber, the Maryland State Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower chamber, the Maryland House of Delegates, has 141 representatives...
significantly altered the 2nd by shifting most of its share of Harford County to the 1st and 6th Districts. In its place, the legislature added a heavily Democratic portion of Baltimore City that had previously been in the 1st District. This turned the 2nd from a swing district into a strongly Democratic district. It was an open secret that the district was drawn for Ruppersberger; local media called the new district "the Dutch district." An August 2011 editorial by The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
describes the 2nd district as "curlicue territories strung together by impossibly delicate tendrils of land" and "a crazy-quilt confection drawn for the express purpose of ousting the incumbent at the time, Rep. (and later Gov.) Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., a Republican, and installing C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, a Democrat who still holds the job." He defeated Republican opponent Helen Delich Bentley
Helen Delich Bentley
Helen Delich Bentley is an American politician and a former Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from the State of Maryland .-Life and career:...
, who had represented the 2nd district from 1985 to 1995, with 55 percent of the vote. Ruppersberger has never faced another contest even that close, and has been reelected four times.
Electoral history
| Year | Office | Election | Subject | Party | Votes | % | Opponent | Party | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Baltimore County Executive Baltimore County Executive The Baltimore County Executive is the highest elected official representing the government of Baltimore County, Maryland. The post was established with the implementation of the Home Rule Charter for Baltimore County on December 6, 1956... |
General | Charles Albert Ruppersberger, III | Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | ||
| 1998 | Baltimore County Executive Baltimore County Executive The Baltimore County Executive is the highest elected official representing the government of Baltimore County, Maryland. The post was established with the implementation of the Home Rule Charter for Baltimore County on December 6, 1956... |
General | Charles Albert Ruppersberger, III | Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
166,482 | 70.47 | John J. Bishop | Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
69,449 | 29.4 | ||
| 2002 |
| General
|
| |Charles Albert Ruppersberger, III
| |Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
| |105,718
| |54.16
|
| |Helen Delich Bentley
Helen Delich Bentley
Helen Delich Bentley is an American politician and a former Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from the State of Maryland .-Life and career:...
| |Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
| |88,954
| |45.57
|-
| 2004
|
|General
|
| |Charles Albert Ruppersberger, III
| |Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
| |164,751
| |66.62
|
| |Jane Brooks
| |Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
| |75,812
| |30.66
|-
| 2006
|
| General
|
| |Charles Albert Ruppersberger, III
| |Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
| |135,818
| |69.21
|
| |Jimmy Mathis
Jimmy Mathis
James Dunn Mathis at age 16 was the youngest pilot to fly solo across the United States. He was formerly the Republican candidate for the United States Congress in Maryland's 2nd congressional district.-Early life, career, and family:...
| |Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
| |60,195
| |30.68
|-
| 2008
|
| General
|
| |Charles Albert Ruppersberger, III
| |Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
| |198,578
| |71.9
|
| |Richard Pryce Matthews
| |Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
| |68,561
| |24.8
|-
| 2010
United States House of Representatives elections, 2010
The 2010 United States House of Representatives elections, also known as the 2010 midterm elections, were held on November 2, 2010, at the midpoint of President Barack Obama's first term in office. Voters of the 50 U.S. states chose 435 U.S. Representatives. Voters of the U.S...
|
| General
|
| |Charles Albert Ruppersberger, III
| |Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
| |134,133
| |64.21
|
| |Marcelo Cardarelli
| |Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
| |69,523
| |33.28
|}
External links
- Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger official U.S. House site
- Profile at SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...