Longtime Maryland Congressman to Retire

WASHINGTON — Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Md., is retiring from Congress after serving the constituents of Maryland’s 2nd Congressional District for 11 terms.

In a video released Friday, Ruppersberger, who legally adopted his nickname, “Dutch,” after realizing it would fit better on campaign materials than his last name, said he decided to step aside to spend more time with his family.

In a written statement, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore called Ruppersberger “one of the Baltimore area’s greatest champions.”

“As a county executive and a congressman, he fought to ensure that Baltimore, Maryland, and the country’s best interests were always served,” the governor said.

“Through his work in the veterans community, protecting Social Security and Medicare, and strengthening our national security, the congressman showed us that the most important thing we can do as public servants is to be a commonsense leader, someone who protects the people we serve and honors those who have sacrificed on behalf of our country,” Moore continued.

“I have no doubt that Congressman Ruppersberger, even in retirement, will continue to do exactly what we have become accustomed to in Maryland — fight on behalf of working families, uplifting the Baltimore community that he is so proud to call home, and cheering hard for the Ravens and the Orioles,” he said.

Ruppersberger, 77, was a 28-year-old state prosecutor when a near fatal car crash in 1975 inspired him to run for public office.

After an unsuccessful state Senate bid in 1978, the political novice was appointed to an open seat on the Baltimore County Council in 1985, and won his first election the following year.

In 1994, Ruppersberger was elected Baltimore County executive, and served there until deciding to run for what was then a newly redrawn 2nd Congressional District in 2002.

In all, he’s served 21 years in Congress, and four decades in public life.

In that time, he said in his retirement announcement, “I have never forgotten where I come from or who I work for. Because each and every day, I work for you.”

While in Congress, he consistently fought for funding for medical facilities like the one that saved his life — a trauma center — as well as for Defense spending for Maryland’s military bases.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said Ruppersberger “brought millions back to his district to support Fort Meade, the National Security Agency and several other military installations that employ thousands of Marylanders and are critical to keeping our nation safe.”

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, said she was saddened to learn of Ruppersberger’s decision.

“It has been an honor to serve with Congressman Ruppersberger on the Appropriations Committee for more than a decade,” she said. 

“He has served on the Defense, Homeland Security and the Commerce, Justice, and Science subcommittees, always embodying what it means to be an appropriator and understanding that nothing gets accomplished without bipartisan support,” she continued. 

“Congressman Ruppersberger was a key ally and supporter in the fight to bring back Community Project Funding last Congress. He is a tireless advocate for Maryland’s crab industry and has secured federal investments for Baltimore, the Chesapeake Bay and surrounding communities,” DeLauro said. “Beyond his work on the Appropriations Committee, Congressman Ruppersberger has been a leader in bolstering our national security. He was the first freshman member of Congress to be named to the House Intelligence Committee and has played a pivotal role in strengthening our cybersecurity.

“Congressman Ruppersberger’s service on the Appropriations Committee is not over. I look forward to his leadership, pragmatism and experience guiding us as we wrap up the fiscal year 2024 process and dive into fiscal year 2025,” she said.

On a personal note, she added, “I will be rooting for Congressman Ruppersberger’s Baltimore Ravens [to win the Super Bowl] this weekend — my dear friend deserves a victory for his lifetime of service to Maryland.”

With Ruppersberger’s retirement, three of Maryland’s eight House seats, all of them currently represented by Democrats, will be contested as open seats this year.

Rep. John Sarbanes announced in October that he would retire after this term, while Rep. David Trone is running for the seat in the Senate being vacated by Sen. Benjamin Cardin’s retirement.

Ruppersberger’s district is expected to stay Democratic. In 2020, Joe Biden defeated former President Donald Trump in the district by 21 percentage points.

Dan can be reached at [email protected] and @DanMcCue