Eric S. Schmitt is a Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 member of the Missouri Senate

Missouri Senate

The Missouri State Senate is the upper chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 34 members, representing districts with an average population of 160,000...

, representing the 15th District since 2009. Previously he was a Glendale, Missouri

Glendale, Missouri

Glendale is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 5,925 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Glendale is located at ....

, Alderman

Alderman

An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...

 from 2005 to 2008.

He is a member of these committees: Gubernatorial Appointments; Health, Mental Health, Seniors and Families (Vice Chairman); Jobs, Economic Development and Local Government; Veterans' Affairs, Pensions and Urban Affairs (Vice Chairman); and Ways and Means.

Early life

Schmitt was born and raised in St. Louis County, Missouri

St. Louis County, Missouri

St. Louis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. Its county seat is Clayton. St. Louis County is part of the St. Louis Metro Area wherein the independent City of St. Louis and its suburbs in St. Louis County, as well as the surrounding counties in both Missouri and Illinois all...

. He lives in Glendale

Glendale, Missouri

Glendale is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 5,925 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Glendale is located at ....

 with his wife, Jaime, and their two children, Stephen (born about 2005) and Sophia (born May 22, 2008).

He received his B.A.

Bachelor of Arts

A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

 cum laude from Truman State University

Truman State University

Truman State University is a public liberal arts and sciences university in Missouri, United States and a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. About 6,000 students attend Truman, pursuing degrees in 43 undergraduate and 9 Graduate programs. It is located in Kirksville in...

 (1997) where he was a founding father of the influential campus group, "The Lightkeepers". He also participated in varsity

Varsity team

In the United States and Canada, varsity sports teams are the principal athletic teams representing a college, university, high school or other secondary school. Such teams compete against the principal athletic teams at other colleges/universities, or in the case of secondary schools, against...

 football

College football

College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...

 and baseball

College baseball

College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...

 and also founded a campus chapter of Habitat for Humanity. He earned a scholarship

Scholarship

A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...

 to attend law school

Law school

A law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...

 at St. Louis University where he received his J.D.

Juris Doctor

Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...

 (2000), was an editor

Editing

Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...

 of the Law Review

Law review

A law review is a scholarly journal focusing on legal issues, normally published by an organization of students at a law school or through a bar association...

, and was a published author.

Legal career

Schmitt was admitted to the bar

Admission to the bar in the United States

In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...

 in 2000, and is chairman of the young lawyers' section. He practices law in Clayton, Missouri

Clayton, Missouri

Clayton is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis and the county seat of St. Louis County, Missouri. The population was 15,939 at the 2010 census. The city was organized in 1877 and is named after Ralph Clayton, who donated the land for the courthouse.-Geography:...

, and is very active in his community. He chaired a statewide Giving Tree effort benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters of America

Big Brothers Big Sisters of America

Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is a 501 non-profit organization whose mission is to help children reach their potential through professionally supported, one-to-one relationships with mentors that try to have a measurable impact on youth....

, and has been involved with the TS (Tuberous Sclerosis

Tuberous sclerosis

Tuberous sclerosis or tuberous sclerosis complex is a rare multi-system genetic disease that causes non-malignant tumors to grow in the brain and on other vital organs such as the kidneys, heart, eyes, lungs, and skin. A combination of symptoms may include seizures, developmental delay, behavioral...

) Alliance, the Gateway Chapter of the Autism Society of America

Autism Society of America

The Autism Society of America was founded in 1965 by Bernard Rimland, PhD, together with Ruth C. Sullivan and a small group of other parents of autistic children. Its original name was the National Society for Autistic Children; the name was changed to emphasize that children with autism grow up...

, and Habitat for Humanity.

Political career

Schmitt served as a Glendale Alderman from 2005 to 2008 and was elected to the Missouri Senate on November 4, 2008, to represent the 15th District. The district includes parts or all of Affton

Affton, Missouri

Affton is an unincorporated inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County, Missouri, USA. As of the 2010 census, the community had a total population of 20,307.-Geography:...

, Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury, Missouri

Shrewsbury is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County, Missouri. The population was 6,254 at the 2010 census.The city is home to the broadcast towers of KSDK- and KDNL-TV.-Geography:Shrewsbury is located at ....

, Grantwood Village, Webster Groves

Webster Groves, Missouri

Webster Groves is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 22,995 at the 2010 census. The city is named after New England politician Daniel Webster....

, Glendale

Glendale, Missouri

Glendale is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 5,925 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Glendale is located at ....

, Warson Woods

Warson Woods, Missouri

Warson Woods is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,962 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Warson Woods is located at ....

, Oakland

Oakland, Missouri

Oakland is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,381 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Oakland is located at ....

, Crestwood

Crestwood, Missouri

Crestwood is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States, part of the Metropolitan Statistical Area known as Greater St. Louis. The population was 11,912 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Crestwood is located at ....

, Kirkwood

Kirkwood, Missouri

Kirkwood is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County, Missouri. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,540. Founded in 1853, the city is named for James Pugh Kirkwood, builder of the Pacific Railroad through that town. It was the first planned suburb located west...

, Valley Park

Valley Park, Missouri

Valley Park is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 6,942 at the 2010 census.-History:The town was a Mississippian Indian settlement along the Meramec River as early as the mid-18th century, until it was settled by French and German immigrant farmers in the 1760s...

, Fenton

Fenton, Missouri

Fenton is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States, and a suburb of St. Louis. The population was 4,022 at the 2010 census.-History:Due to its proximity to fertile land and the Meramec River, the Fenton area has been inhabited for over 1,000 years...

, Twin Oaks

Twin Oaks, Missouri

Twin Oaks is a village in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 392 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Twin Oaks is located at According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land....

, Manchester

Manchester, Missouri

Manchester is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 18,094 at the 2010 census. The mayor is David Willson.-Geography:Manchester is located at ....

, Ballwin

Ballwin, Missouri

Ballwin is a second-ring western suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was to be 30,404 as of the 2010 census. It was named by Money Magazine in 2005 as 64th on the list of the 100 best cities in America. It is the only city in America named...

 and other areas of St. Louis County.

External links

• Missouri Senate - Eric Schmitt official Missouri State Senate website
• Eric Schmitt For State Senate - District 15 campaign website
• Eric Schmitt For State Senate - District 15 campaign biography
• Lathrop & Gage LLP - People - Eric S. Schmitt biography at his law firm
• Project vote smart biography