Charles R. Boutin

Career Local politics

In 1977, Boutin was included as one of four people recommended by the Harford County Permanent Nominating Caucus, which had delegates from thirty-nine organizations, to fill one of two vacancies on the Harford County Board of Education and was one of three peopled endorsed by state Senator Arthur H. Helton Jr. for the position. Acting Governor Blair Lee III appointed Boutin and John Tillery Jr. to replace Thomas Snodgrass and George R. Litchfield on the board. Boutin served on the board of education from 1977 to 1981, and as president of the board from 1979 to 1981.

In 1981, Boutin announced that he would run for the Democratic nomination for county executive of Harford County which was then held by J. Thomas Barranger. He placed fourth in the Democratic primary won by Habern W. Freeman.

He ran for a seat on the city council in Aberdeen, Maryland, in 1990, but lost to Evlynn Becker, Ruth Elliott, and George Englesson. Boutin served on the city council from 1992 to 1994.

Maryland House of Delegates

Boutin and Michael D. Griffin won the Republican nomination to run for one of the seats in the Maryland House of Delegates from District 34A in 1998. He won in the general election alongside Democratic nominees Mary-Dulany James and B. Daniel Riley. He won reelection in 2002, alongside James while Riley lost reelection. He resigned from the state legislature to take a position on the Maryland Public Service Commission and Governor Bob Ehrlich replaced him with Sheryl Davis Kohl.

During his tenure in the House of Delegates he served on the Health and Government Operations, and Environmental Matters committees. He was a member of the Rural, Taxpayers Protection, Maryland Legislative Sportsmen's, and Veterans caucuses. From 2003 to 2005, he served as chief deputy Minority Whip. Governor Martin O'Malley appointed Lawrence Brenner to replace Boutin on the commission.

Chief Administrative Law Judge Thomas E. Dewberry selected Boutin to work as an administrative law judge at the Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings which he started on April 4, 2007, and worked as until 2012.

Political positions

Boutin proposed legislation while serving in the Maryland House of Delegates which would make observing animal fights a misdemeanor charge with a punishment of ninety days in jail and a $1,000 fine. It would also make the transportation and breeding of dogs for fighting a felony punishable by three years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Those who arranged fights would be punished with a felony conviction punishable by three years in prison and a $5,000 fine. He proposed an amendment to the Constitution of Maryland which would define marriage as only between a man and a woman.

Electoral history