# Joel Krautter

Joel Krautter (born December 8, 1987) is an American politician attorney, small business owner and Republican candidate for the eastern Montana congressional district in Montana. Krautter was a Republican member of the Montana House of Representatives from the 35th district.

## Early life

Joel Krautter grew up in Deer Lodge, Montana, graduating from Powell County High School, where he helped lead the golf team to two state championships in 2005 and 2007.

## Education

In 2011, Krautter earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Government: Pre-law from Liberty University, a private evangelical Christian university in Lynchburg, Virginia. While at Liberty University, Krautter was involved in campus politics. He was briefly involved with both the college democrats and college republicans while at Liberty. He was also involved in pro-Israel activism, serving as president of the university’s Stand with Israel club. Krautter was elected president of the graduating class of 2011. In 2014, Krautter earned a JD degree from University of Montana School of Law.

## Career

Krautter first ran for office in 2016, challenging incumbent Scott Staffanson for MT House District 35 in the Republican primary. Staffanson would win re-election, although Krautter in his first campaign would capture 40% of the vote against the lifelong Sidney resident. During the campaign Krautter wrote an op-ed that discussed why he was a Republican.
Krautter was subsequently elected chairman of the Richland County Republican Central Committee in 2017.
In 2018, Krautter ran for the open House District 35 seat after Staffanson retired, defeating Tanya Rost in the Republican primary.
On November 6, 2018, Krautter won the general election, running unopposed and became a Republican member of Montana House of Representatives for District 35.

## Montana State Legislature
### 2016 State House of Representatives election

In 2016, Krautter was unsuccessful in the Republican Party primary.
Montana's 35th District House of Representatives Primary Election, 2016 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Scott Staffanson (Incumbent) | 1,127 | 59.98 |
| | Republican | Joel Krautter | 752 | 40.02 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,879 | 100 |

### 2018 State House of Representatives election

Krautter was elected in the 2018 Republican primary over Tanya Rost.
Montana's 35th District House of Representatives Primary Election, 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Joel Krautter | 1,140 | 53.90 |
| | Republican | Tanya Rost | 975 | 46.10 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 2,115 | 100 |
Krautter was uncontested in the general election, having received 3,688 votes.

### 2020 State House of Representatives election

Krautter was defeated for re-election in the 2020 Primary.
Montana's 35th District House of Representatives Primary Election, 2020 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Brandon Ler | 1,457 | 52.60 |
| | Republican | Joel Krautter (Incumbent) | 1,313 | 47.40 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 2,770 | 100 |

### 2024 Campaign for U.S. House of Representatives

On December 31, 2023, Krautter announced he would be running for the eastern Montana seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2024 election.

## Awards

* 2019 Rookie of the Year Award. Presented by Montana Farm Bureau Federation.
* Champion of Business Award. Presented by Montana Chamber of Commerce.
* Spirit Award. Presented by Disability Rights Montana.
* Hero Award. Presented by National Association of Mental Illness, Montana Chapter.

## Personal life

In August 2014, Krautter moved to Sidney, Montana after graduating from law school. In 2022, Krautter relocated to Billings, Montana and began working from the law firm's Billings branch office. Krautter is a co-founder of the non-profit organization, Friends of the Montana Constitution.