Scot Kerns

Douglas Scot Kerns II
Member of the Montana House of Representatives
from the 23rd district
In office
January 4, 2021 – June 30, 2024
Preceded byBradley Maxon Hamlett
Succeeded byEric Tilleman
Personal details
Born (1986-09-26) September 26, 1986 (age 38)[1]
Political partyRepublican
Parents
  • Douglas Scot Kerns[1]
  • Laurie Elizabeth Hensley
Education
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Air Force
Years of service2005-2006 (Active)
2010-2018 (Reserve)
2018-2020 (Active)
Rank Captain[1]

Douglas Scot Kerns II, also known as Scot Kerns, is a Lutheran pastor and Republican politician who was born in Indianapolis, Indiana.[1] He represented House District 23 of the Montana State Legislature[3] and a served as a candidate minister in Great Falls, Montana.[2]

Early life

Kerns attained the Eagle Scout award in Boy Scouts.[4]

Education

Kerns attended Randolph-Macon Academy military boarding school in Virginia,[5] then received a BA in Theology from Concordia University Chicago in 2009[1] and an MA in Divinity from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 2013.[2]

Career

Kerns has been a guest pastor ten times on KFUO radio.[6] Kerns once served as the "guest chaplain of the day" in the Kansas Senate.[7] He has served as chaplain of the fire department in Vaughn, Montana,[8] and the pastor of a church near Lincoln, Kansas.[1]

Montana State Legislature

During the 2021 legislative session, Kerns served on the Taxation, Education, and Local Government Committees.[3] He sponsored 21 bills, of which three passed:

  • LC3090, adding armed service statistics to a suicide-reduction plan
  • LC2597, entitling involuntary military enlistees to employment benefits
  • LC3107, establishing a fund for the burial of deceased indigent persons

Kerns' 2021 votes were 100% aligned with the recommendations of the Montana Family Foundation[9] and 96% aligned with the recommendations of the Montana Chamber of Commerce.[10]

Kerns resigned from the Montana House in June 2024 in order to move to Pennsylvania to become the pastor of a Lutheran congregation there.[11]

Personal life

Kerns resided in Great Falls, Montana.[3][2]

Electoral history

Montana’s 23rd District House of Representatives election, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Scot Kerns 2,079 51.3
Democratic Brad Hamlett 1,972 48.7
Total votes 4,051 100

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "The Divine Service of Installation" (PDF). St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Lincoln Kansas. 11 August 2013.
  2. ^ a b c d "LCMS Locator". LCMS Locator. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  3. ^ a b c "Legislator Details". Montana State Legislature. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  4. ^ "Public Eagle Scouts - Boy Scout Troop 627 (East Peoria, Illinois)". www.troop310.net.
  5. ^ Copper Book: Lawmakers of Montana, Legislative Session of 2021. Montana State Legislature. Montana Legislative Services Division. 2021. p. 48. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  6. ^ "Scot Kerns on KFUO Radio". KFUO Radio. KFUO Radio. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  7. ^ "Civil Air Patrol". Salina Journal. Salina Journal. Archived from the original on 20 March 2020. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  8. ^ "Firedepartment.net". firedepartment.net. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  9. ^ Laszloffy, Jeff (June 17, 2021). "2021 Legislative Scorecard". Montana Family Foundation.
  10. ^ "Montana Chamber Announces 2021 Voting Review of the 67th Legislative Session - Montana Chamber of Commerce". July 14, 2021.
  11. ^ "Great Falls legislator Scot Kerns to resign, move to Pennsylvania". June 12, 2024.