Richard Franklin Colburn (February 9, 1950 – December 27, 2024) was an American politician who was a Republican state senator for District 37 in Maryland.

[1] He first became involved with politics as a member of the Dorchester County Republican State Central Committee, serving from 1979 until 1982.

[2][1] In 1992, Colburn was selected to serve on the Board of Directors for the Maryland Rural Water Association,[2] 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.

[2] He belonged to several other organizations including the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), the Zion United Methodist Church, and the Elks.

[2] In the legislature, Colburn was viewed as a low-profile lawmaker who was a reliable conservative vote as well as an advocate for rural interests.

[2] After leaving the legislature in 2015, Governor Larry Hogan appointed Colburn to serve as a legislative aide to Maryland Agriculture Secretary Joseph Bartenfelder.

[10][11] Richard Colburn was first elected to the Maryland State Senate in 1994 to represent District 37, which covers Caroline, Dorchester, Talbot, and Wicomico Counties.

[12] In the 1998 election Colburn defeated his challenger, former Democratic state delegate Robert Alan Thornton, Jr.

[18] Republican Ken Schisler won the House of Delegates seat left open by Colburn in 1990.