In 1969 he was first elected to the Maryland House of Delegates, representing District 5 in Baltimore County.
In 1975 Hutchinson was elected to the Maryland State Senate representing District 7, also in Baltimore County.
During his time as a State Senator, Hutchinson was on the Constitutional and Public Law Committee and from 1977 until 1978 the Maryland Commission on Intergovernmental Cooperation.
Outside of his elected position duties, Hutchinson served as a member of many different groups, including the Board of Visitors of Towson State University, which he held from 1981 until 1989.
In this capacity, he played a major role in the construction of a new football stadium for the Baltimore Ravens, the revitalization of the Hippodrome Theatre, and the crafting of the management structure for development of an 80-acre biotech park and neighborhood revitalization on the city's east side.