Jean Schmidt was the first woman elected to represent Southern Ohio in Congress.  The Second Congressional District, which includes seven counties, stretches from Fountain Square in Cincinnati to the Ohio River town of Portsmouth in Scioto County.

Congresswoman Schmidt serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee as well as the Foreign Affairs Committee.  She’s also a member of the Agriculture Committee, serving as chairwoman of its Subcommittee on Nutrition and Horticulture.

Before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time in 2005, Congresswoman Schmidt served four years as a lawmaker in the Ohio House of Representatives. She previously served 11 years as a member of the Miami Township Board of Trustees in her native Clermont County.

Congresswoman Schmidt earned a degree in political science from the University of Cincinnati. In the private sector, she managed a branch of a small bank owned by her father, the late Gus Hoffman. She also helped with another small business run by her family, Hoffman Auto Racing, which previously fielded cars at the Indianapolis 500 and now competes in U.S. Auto Club events.

An avid runner, Congresswoman Schmidt competed in her 97th marathon on October 14, 2012, in Louisville, Kentucky.

Congresswoman Schmidt and her husband of 36 years, Peter, are the proud parents of Emilie. She and her husband, Nick, have blessed the Schmidts with two grandchildren, Michael and Anthony.