Congressman Carnahan was elected to the United States House of Representatives on November 2, 2004, to represent the citizens of Missouri's 3rd Congressional District. The district includes parts of St. Louis City and County, as well as all of Jefferson and Ste. Genevieve Counties.

Congressman Russ Carnahan was born July 10, 1958. Growing up in Rolla, Missouri, he learned early the value of hard work and public service from his family and community.

After graduating from Rolla High School in 1976, Carnahan attended the University of Missouri-Columbia and received a Bachelor of Science degree in public administration with an emphasis in public service in 1979. In 1983 he earned his juris doctorate degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law.

Carnahan and his wife Debra, a judge in the St. Louis Municipal Court, make their home in St. Louis where they are raising two sons, Austin (15) and Andrew (11). The family attends Lafayette Park United Methodist Church.

In the House of Representatives, Congressman Carnahan serves on the Transportation & Infrastructure and Science & Technology Committees.  He is a member of the Transportation Subcommittees on Highways, Waterways and Aviation, as well as the Science Subcommittee on Research.  Carnahan was appointed as an Assistant Minority Whip in January 2005, one of few freshman legislators to hold this leadership position.

Prior to serving in Congress, Carnahan was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives, worked in the healthcare field, and was in private law practice, including serving on the legal aide panel representing low-income clients.  In the Missouri House of Representatives, Carnahan was instrumental in passing the Women's Health Initiative, resolving the public school funding crisis, and fighting for the reauthorization of the State's Children's Health Insurance program (CHIPS). He also fought to preserve funding for Medicaid and historic preservation tax credits, helping to revitalize the Greater St. Louis region.

Congressman Carnahan has been a member of many civic and community organizations including: St. Louis Ambassadors; United Way of Greater St. Louis, Government Relations Committee; St. Louis Regional Commerce and Growth Association (RCGA), Public Policy Committee; and FOCUS Leadership St. Louis, Class of 1997-98. He has also served as a member of Metropolis St. Louis; State Historical Society of Missouri; Landmarks Association of St. Louis; Compton Heights Neighborhood Association; Missouri Bar, Advisory Committee on Citizenship Education and Health Care Law Committee, Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis; Boy Scouts, Eagle Scout recipient; and Friends of Tower Grove Park, Missouri Botanical Gardens and DeMenil Mansion.

Rep. Russ Carnahan's Official Website

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The average public school is 42 years old. (National Education Association)