Jim Kreider

{{Short description|American politician (born 1955)}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| name =Jim Kreider

| honorific-suffix =

| image =

| alt =

| 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

| prior_term =

| birth_name =James Andreas Kreider

| birth_date ={{birth date and age|1955|06|24}}

| birth_place =Nuremberg, Germany

| death_date =

| death_place =

| profession = Farmer and rancher

| spouse= {{marriage|Deborah Joan Neil|June 5, 1976}}

| children= 2

| residence= Nixa, Missouri

| party=Democratic

| education=Southwest Missouri State University (BS)

}}

James Andreas Kreider (June 24, 1955 – August 1, 2023) was 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{{Cite web|url=https://house.mo.gov/billtracking/spec01/member01/bio142.htm|title=REP|website=house.mo.gov|access-date=2019-11-10}} 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.

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.

Jim Kreider died on August 1, 2023 due to cancer at the age of 69.{{Cite web |title=James Andreas "Jim" Kreider Obituary August 1, 2023 |url=https://www.adamsfuneralhome.com/obituaries/james-andreas-jim-kreider |access-date=2025-03-04 |website=Adams Funeral Home and Crematory |language=en}}