Background
Charles Boutin was first elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1999 to represent District 34A, which covers portions of Harford and Cecil Counties. In a district that elected three candidates, he won the seat left open by Nancy Jacobs who ran for the Maryland State Senate. He shared this victory along with Democrats Mary-Dulany James and B. Daniel Riley.
In 2002, the district was restructured to have only two representatives. All three candidates from the previous election ran, but only Boutin and Mary-Dulany James came out as winners.
Boutin did not finish his term as he was appointed by Governor Bob Ehrlich in 2005 to become a member of the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC), the utility regulatory agency for the state. Governor Ehrlich appointed Sheryl Davis Kohl to replace Boutin as the Republican representative for District 34A.
Boutin held his position in the Public Service Commission until March 7, 2007 when, after allegations of exchanged e-mails with a suspected prostitute surfaced, he submitted his resignation. The PSC was highly criticized by Democratic Baltimore mayor Martin O'Malley during the gubernatorial campaign for proposing an increase in electricity rates of more than 70%, making the PSC a hot issue. Many have stated that the problems with the electricity rates were out of the control of the PSC members and its chairman, Kenneth D. Schisler, as the Washington Post noted:
"Republicans said Schisler had been turned into a scapegoat for a situation that was largely out of his control. They argue that a failed effort at deregulating the electricity industry by the heavily Democratic legislature was responsible for the rate increases of recent years."
Boutin has since returned to practicing law.
Read more about this topic: Charles R. Boutin
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