Scott Raecker was first elected to the House in 1998.

He was born on August 30, 1961, in Waterloo Iowa. His parents, Jim and Thieleane, are a dentist (retired) and a teacher and homemaker. He has two siblings; Steve a businessman, and Jennie Raecker Murphy, who is a homemaker. He attended school in the Waterloo School District where he graduated from West Waterloo High in 1980. He went on to attend Grinnell College where he graduated in 1984.

Scott married his wife, Martha in 1991 in Beaver Creek, Colorado. They have two children, Emily and Max. They attend Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Urbandale.

He works at Drake University as the Director for the Institute for Character Development. Before his move to Drake, Scott was the Executive Director of the Iowa Sesquicentennial Commission, and the co-founder and President of the Eaglebend Affordable Housing Corporation in Avon, Colorado.

He is involved in numerous civic activities, including: the Midwest Council of State Governments Legislative Leadership Institute (Chairman, 2006-present), Josephson Institute of Ethics Governing (Board Member), the Smithsonian Institution Center for Folk Life and Cultural Studies Advisory Council (Co-Chair), United States Center for Citizen Diplomacy (Board Member), the Drake University School of Education National Advisory Board (Board Member), and the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation Board (Board Member). Scott is also a founding board member of the Shining City Foundation, a former board member of the Rotary Club of Des Moines AM, and a member of the Urbandale Chamber of Commerce.