Braxton Mitchell (born May 20, 2000) is an American politician and businessman serving as a Republican member of the Montana House of Representatives from the 3rd district. Elected in 2020, he assumed office on January 4, 2021, and became one of the youngest elected officials in the country.
Early life and education
Mitchell was born in Columbia Falls, Montana, and was later adopted. Mitchell grew up working for his family's businesses in Columbia Falls, most notably Montana Jerky Company.
While attending Columbia Falls High School, he organized a pro-gun walkout after millions of students nationwide walked out to protest gun rights. Mitchell attended Flathead Valley Community College after high school.
Career
Mitchell's involvement in politics began in 2017 during a special election for Montana's lone congressional district, where Republican Greg Gianforte defeated Democrat Rob Quist. Mitchell saw many of his own beliefs reflected in Gianforte, and helped with his campaign as a high school student.
In 2020, he ran for the 3rd district of the Montana House of Representatives. Mitchell defeated incumbent Democrat Debo Powers in the November general election by 20 points, and became one of the youngest elected officials in the country.
In 2022, he filed for re-election. In June 2022, Mitchell faced a Republican primary challenger who Mitchell accused of being a Democrat because she changed her party affiliation just days before the filing deadline. Mitchell easily defeated his primary challenger with over 73% of the vote. In November 2022, Mitchell easily won re-election.
Mitchell currently serves as a member on the powerful House Judiciary Committee, the House Education Committee, and the House Agricultural Committee. In his first session, Mitchell served as a member on the House Taxation Committee, the House Education Committee, and the House Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Committee.
In 2023, Mitchell introduced 10 bills with 9 of them passing the Montana House and Senate.
Mitchell has served as an Ambassador for Turning Point USA, an American conservative nonprofit organization founded by Charlie Kirk that advocates to identify, educate, train, and organize high school and college students to “promote the principles of freedom, free markets, and limited government.”
Montana House of Representatives
State veterans cemetery
In January 2023, Mitchell sponsored successful legislation that would set aside 150 acres of land adjacent to the Montana Veterans Home in Columbia Falls, Montana to create a State Veterans Cemetery in his district. The cemetery is open to veterans in nine Montana counties: Lincoln, Sanders, Flathead, Lake, Glacier, Toole, Pondera, Teton and Liberty counties. "These veterans deserve everything for their sacrifices," Mitchell said in a statement after the bill passed the House. "It's a great day for Flathead County, Northwest Montana and Montana as a whole." The bill was signed into law by Republican Governor Greg Gianforte on April 18, 2023. After the bill was signed into law Mitchell stated “As our community grows, one thing must never change, and that’s our commitment to the heroes who helped secure our future and freedoms.”
Financial literacy instruction in Montana public schools
In February 2023, Mitchell introduced House Bill 535 that would add to state law a series of standards for financial literacy instruction in Montana public schools. The bill passed the House on a largely party-line vote in March 2023, but not before Democrats voiced concern that the bill may infringe on the constitutional authority of the Board of Public Education and the Office of Public Instruction. In Committee, Montana State Superintendent of Public Schools Elsie Arntzen advocated for the bill. After nearly every House democrat opposed the bill, Mitchell blasted Democrats and stated "I didn't realize financial literacy was such a partisan issue." In April 2023, the bill passed the Senate with unanimous support and in May 2023 the bill was signed into law by Governor Greg Gianforte.