Eric Schmitt: Education, Early Career, and Rise to the U.S. Senate
Eric Stephen Schmitt, born on June 20, 1975, is an American attorney and Republican Party politician currently serving as the junior United States Senator from Missouri since January 3, 2023. His career trajectory has taken him from local government to the U.S. Senate, marked by a dedication to public service and a strong stance on conservative principles.
Early Life and Education
Eric Schmitt was born in Bridgeton, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. He is a sixth-generation Missourian, descending from a family of farmers, teachers, and small business owners who have resided and worked in various Missouri communities for generations. Raised in the St. Louis metropolitan area, Schmitt attended DeSmet Jesuit High School in St. Louis.
Schmitt pursued higher education at Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude in political science in 1997. During his time at Truman, he was actively involved in campus life, participating in varsity football and baseball and founding a Habitat for Humanity chapter.
He continued his education at Saint Louis University School of Law, where he obtained his Juris Doctor degree. While at St. Louis University School of Law, Schmitt served as an editor on the Law Journal and was a published author. He was admitted to the Missouri bar in 2000. In the fall of 2018, Schmitt served as an adjunct faculty member at Saint Louis University, teaching courses related to law and public policy.
Early Career and Local Politics
After completing his legal education, Schmitt entered private legal practice. He joined the Clayton, Missouri, office of Lathrop & Gage, LLP, where he rose to the position of partner. His practice focused on business and real estate litigation, contributing to the firm's work in commercial disputes and property matters.
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Schmitt's early political engagement began at the local level. In 2005, he was elected as alderman for Ward 3 in Glendale, Missouri, serving until 2008. As a part-time elected official in the small suburban city, he addressed community priorities including infrastructure improvements and budget management to promote fiscal stability. His tenure emphasized responsible governance in a residential area of St. Louis County.
Missouri State Senate (2009-2017)
Building on his experience as a Glendale alderman, Schmitt was elected to the Missouri State Senate on November 4, 2008, representing the 15th District, encompassing central and western portions of St. Louis County. During his time in the Missouri Senate, Schmitt established himself as a legislator focused on tax reform, disability rights, and criminal justice issues.
One of Schmitt's signature legislative achievements was his work on behalf of individuals with disabilities. He expanded benefits and tax exemptions for disabled citizens in Missouri and was a principal advocate for autism-related legislation.
Schmitt also played a prominent role in the legislative response to the Ferguson unrest of 2014. Following the shooting of Michael Brown and the subsequent protests and national scrutiny of policing practices in the St. Louis area, Schmitt led a bipartisan effort to reform municipal court practices. The resulting legislation eliminated traffic ticket quotas for law enforcement and placed limits on the amount of revenue that municipalities could derive from non-traffic fines. These reforms were seen as addressing systemic issues in the way small municipalities in the St. Louis area generated revenue.
During his tenure in the Missouri State Senate representing a district in St. Louis County, Schmitt sponsored Senate Bill 572 in 2016, which modified provisions for municipalities in St. Louis County. In response to concerns raised after the 2014 Ferguson unrest, Schmitt led a bipartisan effort on Senate Bill 765, which prohibited political subdivisions and law enforcement agencies from imposing direct or implied traffic ticket quotas on officers, expanding prior restrictions beyond St. Louis County.
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Schmitt was also known for his focus on fiscal policy, authoring two of the largest tax cuts in state history and legislation to eliminate "taxation by citation." As a state senator, Schmitt also led a bipartisan effort in response to the Ferguson unrest to successfully eliminate traffic ticket quotas and limit local revenues from non-traffic fines.
Schmitt did not run for reelection to the Missouri Senate in 2016 because he was term-limited.
Missouri State Treasurer (2017-2019)
In 2016, Schmitt ran for Missouri treasurer. He was initially slated to compete with fellow Republican senator Dan Brown in the Republican primary. After mulling a run for attorney general, Schmitt instead won the state treasurer’s office in 2016. He served in that post for a relatively short time, as Gov. Mike Parson appointed Schmitt Missouri Attorney General to replace Josh Hawley after Hawley was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2018.
As Treasurer, Schmitt oversaw the state's investment portfolio, which generated significant interest earnings to fund essential services without raising taxes.
During his time as state treasurer, Schmitt launched a transparency tool allowing citizens to track taxpayer spending. He launched a transparency tool allowing citizens to track taxpayer spending. To promote accountability in public finance, Schmitt has championed transparency initiatives.
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Schmitt's tenure as state treasurer was relatively brief, lasting approximately two years.
Missouri Attorney General (2019-2023)
In 2018, Governor Mike Parson appointed Schmitt Missouri Attorney General to replace Josh Hawley after Hawley was elected to the U.S. Senate. He took office in January 2019. He was elected to a full four-year term as attorney general in 2020.
As attorney general, he prioritized public safety through the Safer Streets Initiative for prosecuting violent offenders, established Missouri's first Cold Case Unit, addressed untested sexual assault kits via the SAFE Kit Initiative, and combated the opioid crisis by securing resources for treatment and prevention.
In January 2020, Schmitt's office prosecuted and secured a first-degree murder conviction against Antonio Muldrew for the 2014 shooting death of Ethiopian refugee Abdulrauf Kadir during a St. Louis City murder case. This was the first time a Missouri attorney general prosecuted a murder case in the City of St. Louis.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in Missouri, Schmitt filed lawsuits to prevent St. Louis County and other localities from enforcing restrictions meant to curb the spread of the virus.
Schmitt also filed a lawsuit against the government of China and the Chinese Communist Party, alleging their responsibility in the origin and spread of the pandemic. In April 2020, Missouri became the first state to sue China over its response to the coronavirus. However, a federal judge dismissed Missouri AG Eric Schmitt lawsuit blaming China for COVID-19.
During his tenure as Missouri Attorney General, Eric Schmitt filed 25 lawsuits against the Biden administration between 2021 and 2022, challenging various federal policies on grounds including executive overreach and violations of state sovereignty. Key lawsuits included challenges to COVID-19 vaccine mandates for healthcare workers, which Schmitt argued infringed on individual rights and state authority; a federal judge in Louisiana blocked the mandate nationwide in January 2022 following suits led by Missouri and other states. Schmitt also sued over the administration's suspension of new oil and gas leases on federal lands, claiming it unlawfully disrupted energy production and economic interests. Additional suits challenged the administration's efforts to address social media censorship of anti-vaccine content, alleging First Amendment violations; this case was dismissed by the Supreme Court in 2024 for lack of standing. Schmitt also opposed federal guidance on LGBTQ+ nondiscrimination protections in schools, arguing it exceeded Title IX authority and intruded on parental rights, while joining a successful challenge to the student loan debt relief program, which the Supreme Court upheld in Biden v. Nebraska.
In 2020, Schmitt filed an amicus brief supporting the dismissal of gun-related charges against Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who had brandished firearms at Black Lives Matter protesters near their home; the brief argued the couple's actions were protected under Missouri's stand-your-ground laws.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt took several legal actions challenging local and state-level public health measures, positioning himself as a defender of individual liberties against perceived government overreach. In April 2020, Schmitt filed a lawsuit against St. Louis County Executive Sam Page, arguing that the county's restrictions on businesses and gatherings violated the Missouri Constitution by infringing on property rights and exceeding emergency powers. The suit sought to invalidate orders limiting non-essential operations and capping group sizes, claiming they were arbitrary and not uniformly enforced.
Schmitt also opposed efforts to release inmates from Missouri prisons to mitigate COVID-19 outbreaks, particularly those involving individuals convicted of violent felonies. In 2020, he intervened in cases seeking early releases, arguing that procedural requirements under Missouri law, such as gubernatorial approval for clemency, must be followed even amid the health crisis. This stance drew criticism from advocates who highlighted the risks of virus transmission in overcrowded facilities. For instance, Schmitt's office resisted the release of Kevin Strickland, who had served 43 years for a 1978 triple murder before being exonerated and freed in November 2021 following a judge's ruling that bypassed AG objections on procedural grounds. Similarly, in the case of Lamar Johnson, convicted in a 1994 murder, Schmitt opposed his 2023 release after 28 years, citing the need for adherence to innocence claim statutes, despite new evidence of wrongful conviction; Johnson was ultimately granted freedom by a St. Louis Circuit Court judge. Critics, including prosecutors involved in the original cases, labeled Schmitt's positions as "prosecutorial malpractice," accusing him of prioritizing technicalities over justice during a pandemic that exacerbated prison vulnerabilities.
In addition to challenging restrictions, Schmitt pursued enforcement against perceived fraud. In 2020, his office sued televangelist Jim Bakker for making unsubstantiated claims that his product, Silver Solution, could cure COVID-19, alleging violations of the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act.
Schmitt's office also sued several school districts and Jackson County in 2021 over mask mandates for students and staff, contending that such policies infringed on parental rights and local control without sufficient legal basis. These suits were filed despite a Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services study indicating that masks reduced COVID-19 transmission in schools by up to 70%. The Jackson County case was dismissed in September 2021, with the judge ruling that the mandate fell within the county's emergency authority. In 2022, during a hearing for Michael Politte, wrongfully convicted of arson and murder as a child, Schmitt reiterated his office's stance on strictly enforcing procedural hurdles in innocence cases, even as pandemic-related backlogs in the justice system lingered.
During his tenure as Missouri Attorney General, Eric Schmitt actively participated in high-profile election-related litigation following the 2020 presidential election. In December 2020, he joined Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's lawsuit, Texas v. Pennsylvania, in which the state of Texas sought to challenge the election results in several swing states. The suit, which was ultimately rejected by the Supreme Court for lack of standing, alleged irregularities in the election procedures of Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
Schmitt also pursued legal challenges related to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including efforts to invalidate key provisions. After Missouri voters approved a Medicaid expansion under the ACA via Amendment 2 in 2020, Schmitt argued in state court that lawmakers were not obligated to appropriate funds for its implementation, contending that the measure violated separation of powers by compelling legislative action. The Missouri Supreme Court unanimously rejected this position in July 2021, upholding the expansion as constitutional and affirming that voters' intent required funding. Supreme Court's 2021 ruling in California v. Texas, which upheld the ACA's individual mandate.
In criminal justice matters, Schmitt's office defended convictions amid claims of evidentiary flaws, notably in the case of Michael Politte, who was convicted at age 14 in 1998 for the murder of his mother, Rita Politte, in a fire. Despite expert analyses questioning the reliability of shoeprint evidence-the primary physical link tying Politte to the crime-Schmitt's office opposed motions to vacate the conviction, leading to appeals that highlighted investigative shortcomings and a potentially inadequate defense.
Additionally, Schmitt filed an amicus brief in Bostock v. Clayton County (2019), joined by other state attorneys general, arguing that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 did not extend protections against employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Supreme Court ruled against this position in June 2020, holding 6-3 that such discrimination constitutes sex discrimination under the law.
During his time as attorney general, Schmitt filed or joined lawsuits on at least 25 occasions to oppose policies of the Joe Biden administration.
U.S. Senate (2023-Present)
In 2022, Schmitt ran for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by the retiring Roy Blunt. In the Republican primary, he faced U.S. Representative Vicky Hartzler (22.1%), and several other candidates. He won the Republican primary and went on to defeat Democratic nominee Trudy Busch Valentine in the general election on November 8, 2022, with 55.4% of the vote to her 42.2%, securing the seat in a state that has trended Republican.
Schmitt took office on January 3, 2023, succeeding Blunt. He serves as vice chair of the Congressional Joint Economic Committee, a position he assumed on January 3, 2025.
As a senator, Schmitt has aligned himself with the national conservatism movement. Speaking at the 2025 National Conservatism Conference, Schmitt said, "National conservatism is an idea whose time has arrived". In his speech, he criticized the belief that the United States is defined by a shared set of values and principles. Instead, he argued that it is a nation built by settlers as a homeland for themselves and their descendants.
In February 2026, Schmitt pushed a federal plan to reshape college athletics amid ongoing changes related to name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals, the transfer portal, and conference realignment. Schmitt has also been active on defense and military issues related to Missouri. In February 2026, he joined Secretary of War Pete Hegseth at Boeing's St. Louis facility for an "Arsenal of Freedom Tour," during which Boeing announced it would move its defense headquarters back to St. Louis.
Upon the opening of the 118th United States Congress on January 3, 2023, Schmitt was sworn in by Senate president and Vice President Kamala Harris. Later that month, after President Trump called Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy a "dictator" and said Ukraine was at fault for the Ukraine war, Schmitt said Zelenskyy should not be "openly criticizing" Trump and should "stop lecturing" him. Schmitt said that Trump had spoken "a lot on the campaign trail" about "trying to negotiate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
Following the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization in June 2022, which overturned Roe v. Wade, Schmitt issued an official opinion enforcing Missouri's 2019 near-total abortion ban, known as the "Right to Life of the Unborn Child Act," which prohibits abortions except in cases of medical emergencies. This action effectively halted nearly all abortions in the state, making Missouri the first to implement such a ban post-Dobbs.
On LGBTQ+ rights, Schmitt has opposed federal protections for sexual orientation and gender identity in employment and education. Supreme Court in Bostock v. Clayton County, arguing against interpreting Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in the workplace.
Schmitt has defended the role of religion in public schools, particularly in response to complaints about prayer. In December 2019, he issued an advisory opinion supporting the Cameron R-1 School District against allegations from the Freedom From Religion Foundation that a high school football coach's pre- and post-game prayers violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
In criminal justice matters, Schmitt has focused on enhancing law enforcement tools while facing criticism over wrongful conviction cases. As Attorney General, he supported legislation to lift residency requirements for St. Louis police officers, aiming to expand recruitment and retention amid staffing shortages. He also backed efforts to enact a statewide carjacking statute, classifying it as a felony punishable by 10 years to life in prison, citing over 300 incidents in the St. Louis area in 2021.
Political Positions
Eric Schmitt has consistently advocated for tax reductions and fiscal restraint throughout his political career, emphasizing policies that he argues stimulate economic growth while limiting government intervention. Schmitt's economic policies also reflect a commitment to business-friendly regulations that foster competition, particularly through antitrust enforcement against monopolistic practices. On government spending, Schmitt has opposed expansive federal programs, prioritizing limited intervention and fiscal discipline.
Schmitt has taken a hardline stance on immigration, accusing Democrats of using illegal immigration to advance the "Great Replacement" theory, a conspiracy narrative alleging a deliberate effort to replace white Americans with non-white immigrants. In an April 2022 interview, he claimed that Democrats were engaging in a "great replacement of the American voter" through open borders policies. During a September 2025 speech at the National Conservatism Conference, Schmitt criticized both legal and illegal immigration flows, arguing that programs like H-1B visas undermine American workers and that unchecked migration threatens national identity.
On gun rights, Schmitt has been a staunch defender, earning an A+ rating from the National Rifle Association (NRA) for his legislative record. As a Missouri state senator and later as Attorney General, he consistently opposed measures that would restrict gun ownership and supported legislation aimed at protecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.
Personal Life
Eric Schmitt has been married to Jaime Forrester, a former prosecutor, since 1999. The family resides in Glendale, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. Schmitt has spoken publicly about his family life, including the experience of raising a child with special needs. His entry into public service was motivated in part by his experiences as the father of a son with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, epilepsy, and autism, which inspired advocacy for individuals with special needs.
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