Jim Kreider | |
Office: | 68th Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives |
Term Start: | January 3, 2001 |
Term End: | January 8, 2003 |
Predecessor: | Steve Gaw |
Successor: | Catherine Hanaway |
State House2: | Missouri |
District2: | 142nd |
Term Start2: | January 6, 1993 |
Term End2: | January 8, 2003 |
Predecessor2: | Beth Long |
Successor2: | Jerry Bough |
Birth Name: | James Andreas Kreider |
Birth Date: | 24 June 1955 |
Birth Place: | Nuremberg, Germany |
Profession: | Farmer and rancher |
Children: | 2 |
Residence: | Nixa, Missouri |
Party: | Democratic |
Education: | Southwest Missouri State University (BS) |
James Andreas Kreider (born June 24, 1955) is an American Democratic Party politician who served as Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives.
Kreider was born in Nuremberg, Germany. He graduated from Nixa Public High School in 1973[1] and received a degree in agricultural business and economics from Southwest Missouri State University.
He was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives after redistricting in 1992, defeating longtime Republican legislator Don Gann. He was the first Democrat to represent Christian County, Missouri, since 1904 and the first Democrat to represent heavily Republican southwest Missouri since 1955.[1]
He became Speaker pro tempore in 1997 and Speaker in 2001. In 2002, he ran for the 20th district seat in the Missouri Senate, losing to Republican Dan Clemens. As of 2023, Kreider is the last Democrat to serve as Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives.