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United States House of Representatives
John Rutherford
US Representative
Republican
RESOLUTE Citizen Score
65
/ 100
D
Raw: 22 of 34 dynamic max
· 17 of 50 answered
·
-10
foreign-influence adjustment
Last verified: · from claim evidence
✝ God First
20/ 60
🇺🇸 America First
12/ 40
National Rank
#4,222 of 9,024 · top 46.8% among candidates with at least one scored answer
See the full rankings →Score adjustments
Foreign-lobby money compromises America First. The U.S. has no formal mutual-defense treaty with Israel; AIPAC operates a super-PAC (United Democracy Project) that spent over $100M during the 2024 cycle on independent expenditures against U.S. candidates who criticize Israeli government policy. A candidate who has accepted that money has, in their own revealed preference, accepted a foreign-policy filter on their congressional vote. The same logic covers China-linked donations, where federal law also prohibits CCP members from contributing.
For every candidate with a documented donor record, two things happen: (1) the specific category question is marked False (foreign_policy_restraint[q4] for AIPAC + China; economic_stewardship[q5] — the WEF/ESG/Davos capture question — for Soros-network donors), so the per-category subscore drops by 2 points; (2) an additional dollar-bracket adjustment is applied to the total, making the penalty proportional to the magnitude of the funding. Both impacts are visible on this page.
Base score 32/100 → Adjusted 22/100
- AIPAC / pro-Israel-lobby contributions-10TrackAIPAC career-total report shows $64,273 from AIPAC and pro-Israel-lobby PACs.AIPAC operates a super-PAC (United Democracy Project) that spent over $100M during the 2024 cycle on independent expenditures targeting U.S. candidates who criticize Israeli government policy. The U.S. has no formal mutual-defense treaty with Israel. RESOLUTE Citizen treats documented AIPAC contributions as a failure on foreign_policy_restraint/q4 (the foreign-lobby question) AND applies a dollar-bracket adjustment to the total score.
Contact This Official
📍 Local district office (1)
Jacksonville, FL · 904-831-5205 · 4130 Salisbury Road, Suite 2500 32216
Reach out directly. Your voice matters. Proverbs 29:2 — When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice.
Next Election
November 3, 2026
General · Seat up at next election
— until
Registration deadline: 2026-10-05
Early voting: 2026-10-22 – 2026-11-01
State elections office: (850) 245-6200
Voter status: Check registration
State elections site: Florida Division of Elections
Official Profile
Religion: Catholic (member, Assumption Catholic Church, Jacksonville)
X / Twitter: @RepRutherfordFL
FL-05 (Jacksonville) since 2017; former Duval County Sheriff. Heritage Action lifetime 68% (118th session 55%, 119th 72%) — notably low for a Republican, driven by votes for bipartisan spending packages. SOFT DEVIATION on guns: said 'I support these red flag laws' (WJCT, 8/21/2019) — but his roll calls cut the other way (NAY on H.R.2377 federal ERPO, NAY on the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, NAY on H.R.8 background checks), so the votes carry the cell. Voted NAY on RFMA twice and NAY on the Equality Act. Yea on the $61B Ukraine supplemental (Roll 151, 4/2024). Opposes capital punishment citing his Catholic faith. Cosponsored national concealed-carry reciprocity — reciprocity, not constitutional carry.
Category Breakdown
Candidate affirms life begins at conception and personhood from conception
TRUE (+2)[1]
1 claim
Ranked as a pro-life champion by SBA Pro-Life America; voted for H.R.1 (One Big Beautiful Bill, July 2025), the first federal law to defund Planned Parenthood of Medicaid dollars.
- SBA Pro-Life AmericaRight Advocacy
- WikipediaEncyclopedia
Candidate has voted for or actively advocates abortion abolition (not merely restrictions)
Not yet verified[2]
Candidate opposes embryonic stem-cell research, IVF embryo discard, and chimeric experimentation
Not yet verified
Candidate opposes euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide, and quality-of-life rationing
Not yet verified
FEC / OpenSecrets search found no Planned Parenthood, NARAL, EMILY's List, or abortion-industry PAC contributions (as of the cited search date)
Not yet verified[3]
Candidate affirms marriage as exclusively the lifelong union of one man and one woman as instituted by God
Candidate opposes all forms of same-sex marriage, civil unions, and domestic partnerships in law
Candidate rejects transgender ideology and affirms biological sex (male/female) as immutable and God-given
TRUE (+2)[7]
Candidate supports no-fault divorce reform and policies that strengthen the marriage covenant
Not yet verified
Candidate opposes promotion of LGBTQ+ identity in public policy, schools, military, and corporate-government partnerships
TRUE (+2)[6]
Candidate supports universal school choice, homeschool freedom, and opposes compulsory public-school attendance
TRUE (+2)[8]
Candidate supports parental notification and consent on all medical, mental-health, and gender-related interventions for minors
TRUE (+2)[9]
Candidate opposes CRT, SOGI, "comprehensive sex ed," and gender-ideology curricula in K-12 public schools
Not yet verified
Candidate supports age-verification on pornographic content and criminal penalties for sexualized content marketed to minors
Not yet verified
Candidate supports faith-based adoption/foster agencies and opposes placement of children with same-sex couples
Not yet verified
Candidate affirms the right to publicly profess Christ in all spheres (workplace, military, public office, schools)
Not yet verified[10]
Candidate supports conscience exemptions for Christian medical professionals, business owners, adoption agencies, and educators
Not yet verified
Candidate opposes compelled speech against Christian conviction (pronoun mandates, gospel-proclamation hate-speech laws)
Not yet verified
Candidate supports public-square Christian symbols, prayer in public bodies, and Sabbath/Sunday closure protections
Not yet verified
Candidate opposes state-funded promotion of non-Christian religious displays, curricula, or holidays in public institutions
Not yet verified
Candidate opposes a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) and supports cash and decentralized crypto as legal tender
TRUE (+2)[11]
Candidate supports sound-money policies including gold/silver as constitutional money and audit/abolition of the Federal Reserve
Not yet verified
Candidate opposes deficit spending and supports a balanced-budget constitutional amendment
FALSE (0)[12]
Candidate supports usury limits, anti-debt-slavery protections, and tithe-friendly tax structures
Not yet verified
Candidate opposes WEF/ESG/Davos economic capture and supports anti-trust action against monopolistic financial cartels
TRUE (+2)[13]
Candidate supports hand-counted paper ballots and opposes electronic voting machines
Not yet verified
Candidate supports photo voter ID with citizenship verification
TRUE (+2)[14]
Candidate supports single-day in-person voting with absentee only for verified medical/military exceptions
Not yet verified
Candidate opposes mass mail-in voting, drop boxes, and ballot harvesting
Not yet verified
Candidate opposes private election funding ("Zuckerbucks") and foreign-government election interference
Not yet verified
Candidate supports completed physical border barrier and active military border presence
TRUE (+2)[15]
Candidate supports mandatory deportation of all illegal aliens, including those who entered as minors
1 claim
Defended Trump administration's family-separation immigration enforcement policy in 2018, opposing legislation to halt it; has consistently backed mandatory deportation enforcement at the southern border.
- WikipediaEncyclopedia
Candidate opposes sanctuary city/state policies and supports federal preemption against them
Not yet verified
Candidate supports mandatory E-Verify for all employment and benefit eligibility
TRUE (+2)[15]
Candidate opposes birthright citizenship for children of illegal aliens, tourist births, and opposes foreign ownership of U.S. farmland
Not yet verified
Candidate supports constitutional carry without permit requirements
TRUE (+2)[18]
1 claim
Introduced the Federal Firearms Licensee Protection Act of 2025, legislation to protect federally licensed gun dealers from frivolous civil litigation.
- Congress.govOfficial
Candidate opposes red-flag laws, magazine limits, "assault weapons" bans, and gun registries
Candidate supports repeal of the National Firearms Act (NFA), Gun Control Act (GCA), and other federal gun regulations
Not yet verified
Candidate supports castle doctrine and stand-your-ground laws with full civil immunity for lawful defense
Not yet verified
Candidate opposes ATF overreach, citizen disarmament initiatives, and U.N. small-arms treaty participation
TRUE (+2)[22]
Candidate supports Article I congressional war-powers requirement before any U.S. military action
Not yet verified
Candidate supports immediate withdrawal from forever wars and repeal of standing AUMFs
Not yet verified
Candidate opposes foreign aid to nations hostile to U.S. interests or actively persecuting Christians
Not yet verified[23]
TrackAIPAC / FEC / OpenSecrets search found no AIPAC, pro-Israel-lobby, or foreign-linked PAC contributions (as of the cited search date)
Not yet verified[3]
Candidate opposes U.S. participation in WHO, U.N. governance overreach, NATO expansion, and supranational governance
Not yet verified
Candidate opposes pharmaceutical mandates of any kind (COVID, childhood, employer-required) and supports informed consent
Not yet verified[24]
Candidate supports repeal of pharma liability shields (1986 NCVIA, PREP Act) and restoration of tort accountability
Not yet verified
Candidate opposes Big Ag consolidation (Bayer/Monsanto/Cargill) and supports anti-trust action against agricultural cartels
Not yet verified
Candidate supports raw-milk freedom, small-farm protections, and opposes USDA / EPA overreach against family farms
Not yet verified
Candidate supports defense-contractor accountability, completion of Pentagon audits, and ending revolving-door appointments
Not yet verified[25]
Sources & Evidence
2 Center3 Right5 Official1 Reference1 Other
Official House PageOfficial
Ballotpedia ProfileCenter
Congress.gov — Official RecordOfficial
Heritage Action ScorecardRight Advocacy
Official House PageOfficial
Heritage Action ScorecardRight Advocacy
Ballotpedia ProfileCenter
Heritage Action ScorecardRight Advocacy
Official House PageOfficial
Official House PageOfficial
Bias ratings sourced from AllSides and Ad Fontes Media. Classifications for government, reference, and advocacy domains are maintained by U.S.M.C. Ministries; see source_bias.json.
References & footnotes
Every answer above with a [n] marker corresponds to one of the footnotes below. Wayback-archive links preserve the page as it read at our access date so a reader can verify the citation even if the original URL changes or disappears.
- [1]Original cosponsor of the Life at Conception Act (H.R.431, 118th) — personhood from conception; yea on H.R.26 Born-Alive (2023). Reference
Original cosponsor of the Life at Conception Act (H.R.431, 118th) — personhood from conception; yea on H.R.26 Born-Alive (2023).
- [2]Restriction-tier record (born-alive, LACA credited at q0); no documented abolition advocacy — null. Official
Restriction-tier record (born-alive, LACA credited at q0); no documented abolition advocacy — null.
- [3]No abortion-industry money surfaced, but receipts not affirmatively verified this pass — null. Reference
No abortion-industry money surfaced, but receipts not affirmatively verified this pass — null.
- [4]NAY on the Respect for Marriage Act on both the July and December 2022 roll calls (verified in Clerk XML). Official
NAY on the Respect for Marriage Act on both the July and December 2022 roll calls (verified in Clerk XML).
- [5]NAY on the Respect for Marriage Act on both the July and December 2022 roll calls (verified in Clerk XML). Official
NAY on the Respect for Marriage Act on both the July and December 2022 roll calls (verified in Clerk XML).
- [6]Voted against federal same-sex-marriage codification (RFMA) and against the Equality Act (Roll 39, 2021). Official
Voted against federal same-sex-marriage codification (RFMA) and against the Equality Act (Roll 39, 2021).
- [7]Yea on H.R.734 Protection of Women and Girls in Sports (Roll 192, 2023). Official
Yea on H.R.734 Protection of Women and Girls in Sports (Roll 192, 2023).
- [8]Cosponsor of the Educational Choice for Children Act. Official
Cosponsor of the Educational Choice for Children Act.
- [9]Aye on H.R.5 Parents Bill of Rights (Roll 161, 2023), incl. parental-consent provisions on minors' gender-designation changes at school. Official
Aye on H.R.5 Parents Bill of Rights (Roll 161, 2023), incl. parental-consent provisions on minors' gender-designation changes at school.
- [10]Publicly professes his Catholic faith (personal practice) — but no documented policy position on public profession rights; null. Center
Publicly professes his Catholic faith (personal practice) — but no documented policy position on public profession rights; null.
- [11]Aye on H.R.5403 CBDC Anti-Surveillance State Act (Roll 230, 5/23/2024). Official
Aye on H.R.5403 CBDC Anti-Surveillance State Act (Roll 230, 5/23/2024).
- [12]Heritage Action 55% (118th session) / 68% lifetime — documented pattern of votes for bipartisan spending packages against the fiscal-conservative position. Right Advocacy
Heritage Action 55% (118th session) / 68% lifetime — documented pattern of votes for bipartisan spending packages against the fiscal-conservative position.
- [13]Yea on H.J.Res.30 anti-ESG CRA resolution (Roll 124, 2023). Official
Yea on H.J.Res.30 anti-ESG CRA resolution (Roll 124, 2023).
- [14]Yea on the SAVE Act (H.R.22, Roll 102, 4/10/2025). Official
Yea on the SAVE Act (H.R.22, Roll 102, 4/10/2025).
- [15]Yea on H.R.2 Secure the Border Act (wall construction, Roll 209, 2023). Official
Yea on H.R.2 Secure the Border Act (wall construction, Roll 209, 2023).
- [16]NO on the H.R.6 Dream Act amnesty (2019) — voted to keep minors-arrivals deportable; yea on the Laken Riley Act (2025). Official
NO on the H.R.6 Dream Act amnesty (2019) — voted to keep minors-arrivals deportable; yea on the Laken Riley Act (2025).
- [17]NO on the H.R.6 Dream Act amnesty (2019) — voted to keep minors-arrivals deportable; yea on the Laken Riley Act (2025). Official
NO on the H.R.6 Dream Act amnesty (2019) — voted to keep minors-arrivals deportable; yea on the Laken Riley Act (2025).
- [18]Cosponsored concealed-carry reciprocity — reciprocity for permit holders, not permitless/constitutional carry; null. Unclassified
Cosponsored concealed-carry reciprocity — reciprocity for permit holders, not permitless/constitutional carry; null.
- [19]Roll calls aligned: NAY on H.R.2377 federal red-flag (2022), NAY on the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, NAY on H.R.8 background checks (2019). SOFT deviation noted: 2019 statement 'I support these red flag laws' — votes carry the cell. Official
Roll calls aligned: NAY on H.R.2377 federal red-flag (2022), NAY on the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, NAY on H.R.8 background checks (2019). SOFT deviation noted: 2019 statement 'I support these red flag laws' — votes carry the cell.
- [20]Roll calls aligned: NAY on H.R.2377 federal red-flag (2022), NAY on the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, NAY on H.R.8 background checks (2019). SOFT deviation noted: 2019 statement 'I support these red flag laws' — votes carry the cell. Official
Roll calls aligned: NAY on H.R.2377 federal red-flag (2022), NAY on the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, NAY on H.R.8 background checks (2019). SOFT deviation noted: 2019 statement 'I support these red flag laws' — votes carry the cell.
- [21]Roll calls aligned: NAY on H.R.2377 federal red-flag (2022), NAY on the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, NAY on H.R.8 background checks (2019). SOFT deviation noted: 2019 statement 'I support these red flag laws' — votes carry the cell. Unclassified
Roll calls aligned: NAY on H.R.2377 federal red-flag (2022), NAY on the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, NAY on H.R.8 background checks (2019). SOFT deviation noted: 2019 statement 'I support these red flag laws' — votes carry the cell.
- [22]Yea on H.J.Res.44 pistol-brace CRA resolution (Roll 252, 2023). Official
Yea on H.J.Res.44 pistol-brace CRA resolution (Roll 252, 2023).
- [23]Yea on the $61B Ukraine supplemental (Roll 151, 4/2024) — noted as a restraint deviation, but Ukraine does not cleanly meet this cell's 'hostile to U.S. / persecuting Christians' definition; null. Official
Yea on the $61B Ukraine supplemental (Roll 151, 4/2024) — noted as a restraint deviation, but Ukraine does not cleanly meet this cell's 'hostile to U.S. / persecuting Christians' definition; null.
- [24]Yea on H.J.Res.7 ending the COVID emergency — emergency-declaration vote, not a clean anti-mandate position; null. Official
Yea on H.J.Res.7 ending the COVID emergency — emergency-declaration vote, not a clean anti-mandate position; null.
- [25]Sits on House Appropriations; no Pentagon-audit/contractor-accountability position found. Official
Sits on House Appropriations; no Pentagon-audit/contractor-accountability position found.
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