Richard F. Colburn
Encyclopedia
Richard F. Colburn is a Republican State Senator
for District 37 in Maryland. He is married to Alma Colburn and has one daughter, Johanna Colburn.
, Talbot, and Wicomico Counties. In that year he defeated Democratic challenger Samuel Q. Johnson III and won the seat left open by Frederick C. Malkus, Jr., who retired after 47 years in the Maryland General Assembly
.
In the 1998 election Colburn defeated his challenger, former Democratic state delegate Robert Alan Thornton, Jr.. He captured 59% of the vote to Thornton’s 41%.
The election in 2002 saw challenger Grason Eckel manage to get 31% of the vote. Colburn received almost 69% of the vote to go on and serve four more years.
In 2006, a year that saw many Republicans lose their seats all across the country, Colburn managed to keep his. That year saw him defeat Democrat Hilary Spence, who received almost 39% of the vote to Colburn’s 56%. Five percent of the vote was split between write-in candidates and Moonyene Jackson-Amis.
In November 2010, Senator Colburn was re-elected to his 5th term in the Maryland State Senate defeating Cambridge Attorney Chris Robinson.
Colburn is also a former member of the Maryland House of Delegates
. In his last election for the House in 1986, he won along with Democrats William S. Horn and Samuel Q. Johnson, III. When Colburn ran for the State Senate, Republican Ken Schissler won the seat left open.
in Easton, Maryland
in Talbot County. He then received his A.A.
degree in 1982 from Chesapeake College
, located in Wye Mills, which straddles Talbot and Queen Anne’s Counties.
s for two sociology courses Colburn was taking at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore
towards a bachelors degree. Colburn withdrew from the school shortly after Dukes made his complaint to the University. Dukes also alleged that Colburn had asked his former aide and retired academic Conway Gregory to be an advisor for his course and that Gregory had rewritten one of his term papers. Colburn called Dukes a "disgruntled employee" and said he only asked Dukes to type out term papers he had already written and that he left the course because of the stresses of his work as a senator. The Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics of the Maryland General Assembly dismissed the complaint.
. He served from 1969 until 1972. From 1967 to 1992 he was employed with A&P/SuperFresh. He has been the Town Manager for Federalsburg, Maryland
in Caroline County since 1991. He belonged to the Dorchester County
Republican State Central Committee from 1979 until 1982. He was selected to be a delegate to the Republican Party National Convention in 1988.
In 1992, Colburn was selected to serve on the Board of Directors for the Maryland Rural Water Association, an organization that "provides free technical services, training, and assistance to small drinking and waste water systems in the rural areas throughout the state of Maryland." He is a past vice-president of that organization.
Colburn, had been active in the People for Better Housing organization and was President of the Board of Directors.
Colburn belongs to several other organizations including the American Legion
, the Veterans of Foreign Wars
(VFW), the Zion United Methodist Church, and the Elks. He has received numerous awards including the Good Conduct Medal
while serving his country in the military, the Social Science Award at Chesapeake College in 1980, and the Social Science Award at Eastern Community College in 1981.
, Colburn was a member of the Maryland House of Delegates
. While serving in the House, he was a member of the Constitutional and Administrative Law Committee from 1983–86, the Environmental Matters Committee from 1987–91, and a member of the Governor's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped from 1984 until 1990. In addition, he was also on the Lead Poisoning
Prevention Commission.
While in the Maryland Senate, Colburn served on the Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee from 2003–2010, the Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive and Legislative Review since 1996, the Joint Committee on the Chesapeake
and Atlantic Coastal Bays Critical Area since 2003,the Executive Nominations Committee since 2008 and the Oyster Advisory Commission. He previously served as Chair of the Alcoholic Beverages subcommittee. He currently serves on the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, the Public Safety, Transportation and Environment subcommittee and the Capital Budget subcommittee.
Colburn previously served on the Judicial Proceedings Committee from 1995–2003; the Special Committee on Substance Abuse
from 2001 until 2003. In 2004, he served on the Senate Special Commission on Medical Malpractice
Liability Insurance and from 2006 until 2006, served on the Agricultural Stewardship Commission.
Colburn is the Senate Chair of the Eastern Shore Delegation
, a committee he has served on since 1999. He has been a member of the Maryland Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus since 2001, the Maryland Rural Caucus since 2002, the Taxpayers Protection Caucus since 2003, and finally the Maryland Veterans Caucus since 2004.
Maryland State Senate
The Maryland Senate, sometimes referred to as the Maryland State Senate, is the upper house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland...
for District 37 in Maryland. He is married to Alma Colburn and has one daughter, Johanna Colburn.
Background
Richard Colburn was first elected to the Maryland State Senate in 1994 to represent District 37, which covers Caroline, DorchesterDorchester County, Maryland
Dorchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland on its Eastern Shore. It is bordered by the Choptank River to the north, Talbot County to the northwest, Caroline County to the northeast, Wicomico County to the southeast, Sussex County, Delaware, to the east, and the Chesapeake...
, Talbot, and Wicomico Counties. In that year he defeated Democratic challenger Samuel Q. Johnson III and won the seat left open by Frederick C. Malkus, Jr., who retired after 47 years in 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...
.
In the 1998 election Colburn defeated his challenger, former Democratic state delegate Robert Alan Thornton, Jr.. He captured 59% of the vote to Thornton’s 41%.
The election in 2002 saw challenger Grason Eckel manage to get 31% of the vote. Colburn received almost 69% of the vote to go on and serve four more years.
In 2006, a year that saw many Republicans lose their seats all across the country, Colburn managed to keep his. That year saw him defeat Democrat Hilary Spence, who received almost 39% of the vote to Colburn’s 56%. Five percent of the vote was split between write-in candidates and Moonyene Jackson-Amis.
In November 2010, Senator Colburn was re-elected to his 5th term in the Maryland State Senate defeating Cambridge Attorney Chris Robinson.
Colburn is also a former member of the Maryland House of Delegates
Maryland House of Delegates
The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland, and is composed of 141 Delegates elected from 47 districts. The House chamber is located in the state capitol building on State Circle in Annapolis...
. In his last election for the House in 1986, he won along with Democrats William S. Horn and Samuel Q. Johnson, III. When Colburn ran for the State Senate, Republican Ken Schissler won the seat left open.
Education
Colburn graduated from Easton High SchoolEaston High School
Easton Area High School is a four-year public high school located in Palmer Township, Northampton County, in the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania. It is part of the Easton Area School District. The school's colors are red and white and its mascot is the Red Rover. In 2009 Easton High School was...
in Easton, Maryland
Easton, Maryland
Easton, founded 1710, is a town within the Easton District of Talbot County, Maryland, United States. The population was 11,708 at the 2000 census, and 14,677 according to current July 2008 census estimates. It is the county seat of Talbot County. The primary ZIP Code is 21601, and the...
in Talbot County. He then received his A.A.
Associate's degree
An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years...
degree in 1982 from Chesapeake College
Chesapeake College
Chesapeake College is a two-year college that provides an A.A. degree with its primary campus located in Wye Mills, Maryland, at the intersection of U.S. Route 50 and Maryland Route 213. It serves five Mid-Shore counties: Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne's, and Talbot. Its mascot is the...
, located in Wye Mills, which straddles Talbot and Queen Anne’s Counties.
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
In 2005, a former aide of Colburn, Gregory Dukes, claimed to have written term paperTerm paper
A term paper is a research paper written by students over an academic term, accounting for a large part of a grade. Term papers are generally intended to describe an event, a concept, or argue a point. A term paper is a written original work discussing a topic in detail, usually several typed pages...
s for two sociology courses Colburn was taking at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
University of Maryland Eastern Shore located on 776 acres in Princess Anne, Maryland, United States, is part of the University System of Maryland...
towards a bachelors degree. Colburn withdrew from the school shortly after Dukes made his complaint to the University. Dukes also alleged that Colburn had asked his former aide and retired academic Conway Gregory to be an advisor for his course and that Gregory had rewritten one of his term papers. Colburn called Dukes a "disgruntled employee" and said he only asked Dukes to type out term papers he had already written and that he left the course because of the stresses of his work as a senator. The Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics of the Maryland General Assembly dismissed the complaint.
Career
After college, Colburn served in the U.S. Army Security Agency, achieving the rank of SergeantSergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
. He served from 1969 until 1972. From 1967 to 1992 he was employed with A&P/SuperFresh. He has been the Town Manager for Federalsburg, Maryland
Federalsburg, Maryland
Federalsburg is a town in Caroline County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,642 at the 2009 census. The ZIP code is 21632. The primary phone exchange is 754 and the area code is 410.-Town features:...
in Caroline County since 1991. He belonged to the Dorchester County
Dorchester County, Maryland
Dorchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland on its Eastern Shore. It is bordered by the Choptank River to the north, Talbot County to the northwest, Caroline County to the northeast, Wicomico County to the southeast, Sussex County, Delaware, to the east, and the Chesapeake...
Republican State Central Committee from 1979 until 1982. He was selected to be a delegate to the Republican Party National Convention in 1988.
In 1992, Colburn was selected to serve on the Board of Directors for the Maryland Rural Water Association, an organization that "provides free technical services, training, and assistance to small drinking and waste water systems in the rural areas throughout the state of Maryland." He is a past vice-president of that organization.
Colburn, had been active in the People for Better Housing organization and was President of the Board of Directors.
Colburn belongs to several other organizations including the American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
, the Veterans of Foreign Wars
Veterans of Foreign Wars
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is a congressionally chartered war veterans organization in the United States. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, VFW currently has 1.5 million members belonging to 7,644 posts, and is the largest American organization of combat...
(VFW), the Zion United Methodist Church, and the Elks. He has received numerous awards including the Good Conduct Medal
Good Conduct Medal
The Good Conduct Medal is one of the oldest military awards of the United States military. The Navy Good Conduct Medal was first issued in 1869, followed by a Marine version in 1896. The Coast Guard Good Conduct Medal was issued in 1923 and the Army Good Conduct Medal in 1941. The Air Force was...
while serving his country in the military, the Social Science Award at Chesapeake College in 1980, and the Social Science Award at Eastern Community College in 1981.
In the Legislature
Prior to being elected to the Maryland State SenateMaryland State Senate
The Maryland Senate, sometimes referred to as the Maryland State Senate, is the upper house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland...
, Colburn was a member of the Maryland House of Delegates
Maryland House of Delegates
The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland, and is composed of 141 Delegates elected from 47 districts. The House chamber is located in the state capitol building on State Circle in Annapolis...
. While serving in the House, he was a member of the Constitutional and Administrative Law Committee from 1983–86, the Environmental Matters Committee from 1987–91, and a member of the Governor's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped from 1984 until 1990. In addition, he was also on the Lead Poisoning
Lead poisoning
Lead poisoning is a medical condition caused by increased levels of the heavy metal lead in the body. Lead interferes with a variety of body processes and is toxic to many organs and tissues including the heart, bones, intestines, kidneys, and reproductive and nervous systems...
Prevention Commission.
While in the Maryland Senate, Colburn served on the Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee from 2003–2010, the Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive and Legislative Review since 1996, the Joint Committee on the Chesapeake
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
and Atlantic Coastal Bays Critical Area since 2003,the Executive Nominations Committee since 2008 and the Oyster Advisory Commission. He previously served as Chair of the Alcoholic Beverages subcommittee. He currently serves on the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, the Public Safety, Transportation and Environment subcommittee and the Capital Budget subcommittee.
Colburn previously served on the Judicial Proceedings Committee from 1995–2003; the Special Committee on Substance Abuse
Substance abuse
A substance-related disorder is an umbrella term used to describe several different conditions associated with several different substances .A substance related disorder is a condition in which an individual uses or abuses a...
from 2001 until 2003. In 2004, he served on the Senate Special Commission on Medical Malpractice
Malpractice
In law, malpractice is a type of negligence in, which the professional under a duty to act, fails to follow generally accepted professional standards, and that breach of duty is the proximate cause of injury to a plaintiff who suffers harm...
Liability Insurance and from 2006 until 2006, served on the Agricultural Stewardship Commission.
Colburn is the Senate Chair of the Eastern Shore Delegation
Eastern Shore Delegation
if you have information that can be referenced with a citation, please, feel free to help!The Eastern Shore Delegation refers to the members of the Maryland House of Delegates who reside in or represent legislative districts that are in or include parts of the Eastern Shore of Maryland in the...
, a committee he has served on since 1999. He has been a member of the Maryland Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus since 2001, the Maryland Rural Caucus since 2002, the Taxpayers Protection Caucus since 2003, and finally the Maryland Veterans Caucus since 2004.