Paula Dixon

**Paula Michele Dixon** (née **Wirkowski**; born May 12, 1969) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the senior U.S. Senator from New York since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, she served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing New York's 25th district, from 2009 to 2013.

Born in Rochester, New York, Dixon was raised in nearby Webster, New York. After graduating from Webster Thomas High School in 1987, Dixon moved to Northampton, Massachusetts to attend Smith College, graduating with a degree in economics in 1991. After finishing her undergraduate degree, Dixon moved to New York City to attend Columbia Law School, graduating with her law degree in 1994. After finishing her education, Dixon remained in New York City and began working in tax law. She left her law career in 2009, in order to enter politics.

Dixon began her political career in 2008, after launching her campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives, representing New York's 25th district. She went on to win the Democratic nomination and easily won the general election. She was reelected to a second term in 2010, and a third term in 2012. Following the resignation of John Boettcher in 2013, she was appointed to his vacated United States Senate seat in 2013 to finish his term. She was later elected to a full six-year term of her own in 2016.

## Early life and family

Dixon was born on May 12, 1969 in Rochester, New York to parents Irwin (born 1939) and Frances "Franny" Wirkowski (born 1942; née *Fitzgerald*). She is of predominantly Irish descent and was raised Catholic; one of her paternal great-grandfathers was Polish. Dixon grew up in a middle-class family; her father was a psychology professor at SUNY Brockport, while her mother was a nurse. When she was two years old, the family moved from Rochester to the Fieldcrest neighborhood of the nearby suburb of Webster, New York, where Dixon was raised. Dixon is the eldest of four children; her younger siblings include Peter, born  (1971-03-09) March 9, 1971 (age 52), George, born  (1973-12-18) December 18, 1973 (age 50), and Susan, born  (1975-07-20) July 20, 1975 (age 48).

## Education and law career

Dixon attended public schooling. She began her education in 1974, attending a local public elementary school in Webster. Dixon began high school in 1983, attending Webster Thomas High School. While in high school, Dixon was an honors student who was active in student government, serving as vice president of her graduating class. She graduated from high school in 1987, later moving to Northampton, Massachusetts to enroll in Smith College, a private women's college. While at Smith, Dixon majored in economics and graduated in 1991.

After completing her undergraduate degree, Dixon moved to New York City to attend Columbia Law School; she graduated with her law degree in 1994. After finishing her education, Dixon remained in New York City and began working in tax law. She left her law career in 2009, in order to enter politics.

## Political positions

*Main article: Political positions of Paula Dixon.*

## Personal life

Dixon began a relationship with attorney Ethan Dixon in 1997. They became engaged in 2000, and married the following year. The couple have two children together: Kyle, born  (2003-08-05) August 5, 2003 (age 20), and Stephanie, born  (2005-01-19) January 19, 2005 (age 19). The family previously resided in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York and later purchased a home in Brighton, New York in 2007, in order to run for Congress. After her election, they sold their Hastings-on-Hudson home and purchased a townhouse in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., in addition to keeping their Brighton home.