Elijah Haahr

Elijah J. L. Haahr (born May 28, 1982) is an American politician. He is a former member of the Missouri House of Representatives, having served from 2013 to 2021. He is a member of the Republican Party.[1]

Elijah Haahr
Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives
In office
November 1, 2018 – January 6, 2021
Preceded byTodd Richardson
Succeeded byRob Vescovo
Speaker pro tempore of the Missouri House of Representatives
In office
January 4, 2017 – November 1, 2018
Preceded byDenny Hoskins
Succeeded byJohn Wiemann
Member of the Missouri House of Representatives
from the 134th district
In office
January 9, 2013 – January 6, 2021
Preceded byThomas Long
Succeeded byAlex Riley
Personal details
Born (1982-05-28) May 28, 1982
Political partyRepublican
Children4
EducationOzarks Technical Community College (AA)
Missouri Western State University (BA)
University of Missouri, Columbia (JD)

Early life, education, and career

Haahr grew up in southwest Missouri. He attended Ozarks Technical Community College and was a member of the National Dean's List and Phi Theta Kappa. After graduating from OTC with honors in 2002, Haahr received an academic scholarship to attend Missouri Western State University. He graduated cum laude from MWSU in 2005. He then attended the University of Missouri School of Law on academic scholarship and graduated with honors in 2008. At MU, he served as editor in chief of the Environmental Law Review and represented MU at the regional level in mock trial and moot court competitions.

Haahr is an attorney with Kutak Rock and focuses on product liability and personal injury. He is licensed to practice in Missouri and Oklahoma.[2]

During his time in the Missouri House of Representatives, Haahr chaired the Emerging Issues Committee and is currently the Speaker Pro Tem. In September 2017, he was elected to be the next Speaker of House starting in January 2019. He will be the first Speaker in Missouri history from Springfield.

In 2019, Haahr spoke in favor of a criminal justice reform measure to undo mandatory minimum sentencing laws for nonviolent offenders and give judges the discretion to determine sentencing on the basis of the offender's character, rehabilitation prospects and threat to society.[3]

In 2019, he spoke in favor of overturning voter-approved redistricting rules whereby a nonpartisan state demographer, with the 70% approval of a citizen commission, would re-draw legislative districts every year. The rules also included requirements that the districts be drawn to make them competitive. According to an Associated Press analysis, those rules would likely reduce the Republican Party's supermajorities in the Missouri House and Senate.[4]

Electoral history

State Representative
2018 General Election for Missouri's 134th District House of Representatives[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Elijah Haahr 8,703 56.95
Democratic Derrick Nowlin 6,575 43.04
Total votes 15,278 100
2018 Primary Election for Missouri's 134th District House of Representatives[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Elijah Haahr 3,069 74.45
Republican Daniel Romine 1,053 25.55
Total votes 4,122 100
2016 General Election for Missouri's 134th District House of Representatives[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Elijah Haahr 9,901 58.40
Democratic Angela Dowler Pryor 6,313 37.23
Libertarian Daniel A. Romine 741 4.37
Total votes 16,955 100
2014 General Election for Missouri's 134th District House of Representatives[8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Elijah Haahr 5,214 64.19
Democratic Kevin Knox 2,909 35.81
Total votes 8,123 100
2012 General Election for Missouri's 134th District House of Representatives[9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Elijah Haahr 9,227 56.04
Democratic James M. Owen 7,239 43.96
Total votes 16,466 100
2012 Primary Election for Missouri's 134th District House of Representatives[10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Elijah Haahr 2,186 56.57
Republican John Sellars 1,678 43.43
Total votes 3,864 100

Personal life

Elijah lives in Springfield with his four children. He is a member of the National Rifle Association.[2]

References
  1. "Elijah Haahr". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  2. "Missouri House of Representatives". House.mo.gov. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  3. Press, DAVID A. LIEB, Associated (2019-01-14). "Missouri House plan would undo "mandatory minimum" sentences for some nonviolent offenses". KDNL. Retrieved 2019-01-15.
  4. "Missouri GOP vows to move quickly to change redistricting process during 2020 session". Kansas City Star. 2019.
  5. https://enrarchives.sos.mo.gov/enrnet/?eid=750004333
  6. https://enrarchives.sos.mo.gov/enrnet/default.aspx?eid=750004535
  7. http://enrarchives.sos.mo.gov/enrnet/default.aspx?eid=750003949
  8. http://enrarchives.sos.mo.gov/enrnet/default.aspx
  9. http://enrarchives.sos.mo.gov/enrnet/default.aspx?eid=750002497
  10. https://enrarchives.sos.mo.gov/enrnet/default.aspx?eid=750002299
Missouri House of Representatives
Preceded by
Denny Hoskins		 Speaker pro tempore of the Missouri House of Representatives
2017–2018		 Succeeded by
John Wiemann
Political offices
Preceded by
Todd Richardson		 Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives
2018–present		 Incumbent
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