Steven W. Kraus (born July 28, 1959) was the Representative of the 89th district of the

Ohio House of Representatives The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate. The House of Representatives first met in ...

until his felony conviction on July 27, 2015. He attended the

Community College of the Air Force The Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) is a federal program offered by the United States Air Force and United States Space Force which grants two-year Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees in association with Air University. CCAF s ...

of Air University before receiving his bachelor's in engineering from

Troy University Troy University is a public university in Troy, Alabama, United States. It was founded in 1887 as Troy State Normal School within the Alabama State University System, and is now the flagship university of the Troy University System. It was one ...

. Kraus' election was also significant due to his defeat of Chris Redfern, a long-serving state representative and the Chairman of the

Ohio Democratic Party The Ohio Democratic Party (ODP) is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Ohio. Former state representative Kathleen Clyde has been the party's chairwoman since June 2025. Statewide, the Democrats currently are viewed as th ...

at the time. After winning election, but prior to his swearing in, Kraus was indicted on felony charges of burglary, breaking and entering, and theft. Kraus was convicted of a fifth-degree felony on July 27, 2015, and, according to the Ohio Revised Code, immediately relinquished his seat as a result of his conviction. Kraus wrote a book published in February 2018, ''Checkmate: One Man's Fight Against Political Corruption.'' On December 19, 2023, Kraus filed his declaration of candidacy for Ohio House with the Erie County, Ohio board of elections to run for state representative and an objection was filed shortly after due to his felony conviction, which, by then had been sealed. On January 29, 2024, the Ohio Supreme Court unanimously ruled Kraus could run and hold office again as an Ohio House member after Erie County election officials placed Kraus’ name on the March 19, 2024 primary-election ballot because his theft conviction was irrelevant because the law only disqualifies him from certain kinds of public office, mainly office that grants him “substantial management or control” over state property.

Bibliography

* ''Checkmate: One Man's Fight Against Political Corruption'' by Steve Kraus (2018) , autobiography describing Steve Kraus's conviction.

References

1959 births Living people Republican Party members of the Ohio House of Representatives Ohio politicians convicted of crimes Politicians from Sandusky, Ohio Troy University alumni Candidates in the 2018 United States House of Representatives elections 21st-century members of the Ohio General Assembly {{Ohio-OHRepresentative-stub