Earl Hutto

Early life

Born in Midland City, Alabama, to Lemmie and Ellie (nee Mathis) Hutto, Earl attended Dale County public schools and received a Bachelor of Science from Troy State University (formerly Troy State Teachers College) in 1949. He served in the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. Afterward he returned to graduate school, studying broadcasting at Northwestern University in 1951. He worked as sports director at WEAR-TV in Pensacola, Florida from 1954 to 1961, WSFA-TV in Montgomery, Alabama from 1961 to 1963, and WJHG-TV in Panama City, Florida, from 1961 to 1973. He operated an advertising agency from 1973 to 1979.

Political career

Hutto was elected as a Democrat to the Florida House of Representatives in 1972 and was reelected in 1974 and 1976. He was elected in 1978 to the 96th and to the seven succeeding Congresses, serving from January 3, 1979, to January 3, 1995. He decided not to run as a candidate in 1994 for reelection to the 104th Congress.

Hutto was one of the most conservative Democrats in Congress. This was not surprising given the nature of his district. It moved away from its "Solid South" roots somewhat sooner than the rest of Florida; its white voters had begun splitting their tickets as early as the 1950s. However, Hutto usually skated to reelection for most of his tenure, with Republicans usually fielding nominal challengers the few times they fielded candidates at all.

From 1978 to 1988, Hutto never dropped below 61 percent of the vote, easily winning reelection even in years when Republican presidential candidates carried the 1st in landslides. In 1984, for instance, he was completely unopposed for reelection even as Ronald Reagan carried the district with over 70 percent of the vote. In 1988, as George H. W. Bush carried the 1st by a similar margin to the one Reagan scored four years earlier, Hutto was reelected with 66 percent of the vote.

He voted against the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act in 1986.

In 1990, Republican challenger Terry Ketchel held Hutto to 52 percent of the vote in the district's first competitive contest in recent memory. Hutto defeated Ketchel in a rematch in 1992, but was once again held to only 52 percent of the vote. He opted not to run for reelection in 1994, and was succeeded by Republican Joe Scarborough. Proving just how Republican this district is, Hutto was the last Democrat to win over 40 percent of the district's vote, or win a county in the district, until Gay Valimont in the 2025 special election.

Hutto joined the bipartisan ReFormers Caucus in 2017.

Death

Hutto died in December 2020 at the age of 94.

References

References

1. [https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/39087338/ Panama City News-Herald from Panama City, Florida on July 23, 1967 · Page 13]
2. Connerley, Julie B.. "Legendary former Congressman Earl Hutto died Monday at age 94".
3. (2020-12-17). "Alumnus Hutto remembered for his legacy of support for Troy University".
4. [https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/99-1986/h829 TO OVERRIDE THE PRESIDENT'S VETO OF HR 4868, A BILL TO PROHIBIT LOANS TO, OTHER INVESTMENTS IN, AND CERTAIN OTHER ACTIVITIES WITH RESPECT TO, SOUTH AFRICA (MOTION PASSED; TWO-...]
5. (2017). "Rep. Earl Hutto (D-FL) Joins the ReFormers Caucus".
6. (16 December 2020). "Former congressman and sportscaster Earl Hutto dies at 94".