James Ruchti

James Ruchti was born and raised in Pocatello and is a West Point graduate. He served as a military intelligence officer in the U.S. Army from 1993 to 1998. His military service took him to Germany, Jordan, Kuwait and throughout the United States. James graduated from the University of Idaho College of Law in 2001. He worked as a law clerk for federal district court Judge B. Lynn Winmill prior to entering private practice. He and his law partner, Joel Beck, own a thriving plaintiffs’ practice in Pocatello, serving clients throughout southeast and east Idaho in personal injury, wrongful death, workers’ compensation and insurance claims.

James served in the Idaho House of Representatives from 2006 to 2010, including a term as the Assistant Minority Leader. He was elected to the Idaho House of Representatives again in 2020 and served on the Agriculture Committee, Judicial and Rules Committee and Revenue and Taxation Committee. James was elected to the Idaho Senate in 2022, is presently the Assistant Minority Leader and serves on the Judicial and Rules Committee, Commerce Committee and State Affairs Committee.

James is a past president of the Idaho Trial Lawyers Association. His wife, Wendy, has a Ph.D. in education and is a professor at Idaho State University. They have been married since 1993 and are the proud parents of two adult children, Spencer and Drew.