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For more than six years, he has served as Maryland鈥檚 nose-to-the-grindstone lieutenant governor, the man perhaps best-positioned to offer himself to voters in 2022 as the logical heir to Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr.鈥檚 legacy.
But Boyd K. Rutherford (R) has opted instead to 鈥渞ide into the sunset鈥� when he and the governor leave office 20 months from now.
In an interview with聽Maryland Matters聽on Tuesday, Rutherford said he lacked the burning desire necessary for the rigors of a campaign.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want it bad enough to put my family through that,鈥� he said.
A statement on my decision not to run for Governor of Maryland.
— Boyd Rutherford (@BoydKRutherford)
Rutherford would have entered the Republican primary contest as the early favorite, particularly if Hogan were strongly in his corner. His decision not to run opens the GOP race and will undoubtedly impact the decision-making of other potential candidates.
Although he has had a long interest in the day-to-day functioning of government, particularly in the areas of procurement and efficiency, the 64-year-old lieutenant governor was a relative newcomer to politics.
Prior to joining Hogan鈥檚 ticket in 2014, Rutherford spent years in high-level administrative posts, serving as head of the Department of General Services for former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) and as Assistant Secretary for Administration at the U.S. Department of Agriculture during the second Bush administration.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 start out to be more than the lieutenant governor. I didn鈥檛 start out to聽be聽the lieutenant governor, quite frankly,鈥� he said with a chuckle.
Rutherford is married and has three grown children. None of them were in favor of a gubernatorial bid, he said.
鈥淭he family was not that supportive of the idea,鈥� he acknowledged. 鈥淢y wife never really was crazy about the lieutenant governor position anyway. And so, when it came time to make this decision鈥� they were not enthusiastically willing to support it.鈥�
鈥淚 could persuade them to come along, if I really wanted it bad enough,鈥� he added. 鈥淏ut I don鈥檛 want it bad enough.鈥�
Rutherford and Hogan have overlapping views when it comes to politics 鈥� and both have been fierce critics of former President Trump.
But unlike the quotable, sometimes pugnacious governor, the wonky Rutherford鈥檚 passions center around governmental operations, as evidenced by the series of videos he dubbed 鈥淢undane 鈥� But Meaningful.鈥�
Members of the Hogan cabinet know to expect a grilling on the days Rutherford chairs Board of Public Works meetings.
鈥淏oyd is a nuts and bolts guy,鈥� said state Sen. Stephen S. Hershey Jr. (R-Upper Shore)聽聽of state government so he could focus on pandemic response.
鈥淗e definitely is the appropriate person for doing exactly what the governor has him doing right now, and that鈥檚 running the state.鈥�
Late last year, before consulting with his family, Rutherford said he was inclined to run. He warned Hogan鈥檚 chief of staff, 鈥淭here鈥檚 going to be times when I鈥檓 going to have to separate from the governor [on an issue].鈥�
鈥淪he said, 鈥榶eah, just let me know, if you can, beforehand,鈥欌�� he said.
Republicans have won three of the last five gubernatorial elections in Maryland 鈥� in each case with a center-right candidate who could generate cross-party appeal.
Rutherford said he will leave it to pundits to determine what impact his decision not to run means for the party鈥檚 chances for 2022. But he said the basic formula remains the same.
鈥淎 Trump-ish Republican is not going to win,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t would be very difficult to be on the far right and win.鈥�
State Commerce Secretary Kelly M. Schulz, Harford County Executive Barry Glassman and former Lt. Gov. Michael Steele are among the Republicans thought to be contemplating a bid for governor.
Asked if his decision not to run is final, Rutherford said he doesn鈥檛 expect to change his mind.
鈥淵ou should never say never. I鈥檝e said 鈥榥ever鈥� to a lot of things before that I鈥檝e turned around and done the opposite,鈥� he said. 鈥淎s of this moment, I don鈥檛 think that that鈥檚 going to be the case in six months, no.鈥�
鈥淲hen this time is up, in a year-and-a-half, I鈥檓 ready to ride off into the sunset. I鈥檒l be fine.鈥�
