Dorothy Schwartz

**Dorothy Jane Schwartz** (née **Fischbein**; born May 30, 1959) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the senior U.S. Senator from Ohio since 2005. A member of the Democratic Party, she served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Ohio's 14th district, from 1997 to 2005.

Born in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, Schwartz was raised in Shaker Heights, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. She graduated from Shaker Heights High School in 1977, and went on to study economics at the University of Chicago, graduating in 1981. After finishing her undergraduate degree, Schwartz moved to South Bend, Indiana and received her law degree from Notre Dame Law School at the University of Notre Dame, graduating in 1984. Schwartz subsequently returned to Cleveland where she worked in copyright law, eventually founding her own law firm in 1992. Schwartz left her law career in 1997, in order to enter politics.

Schwartz first entered politics in 1994, launching an unsuccessful campaign for Ohio's 14th district in the U.S. House of Representatives. She relaunched her campaign in 1996, going on to win the election and unseating incumbent John Harrisonburg. In 2004, Schwartz launched her campaign for United States Senate. She went on to win the Democratic primary and later defeated incumbent Frank Bee in a close race. Schwartz was sworn in as U.S. Senator on January 3, 2005. She has been reelected to subsequent terms in 2010 and 2016.

## Early life and family

Schwartz was born on May 30, 1959 in Brooklyn, New York to parents Bob (1919–2009) and Laura Fischbein (née *Levinsky*; 1923–2006). She grew up in a Jewish family; her father immigrated to the United States from Germany as an child in the 1920s, while her mother was born in New York to a family from Czechoslovakia. Both of her parents worked in the public sector, and Schwartz grew up working-class in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Midwood. When she was seven, the family moved to Shaker Heights, Ohio, where Schwartz spent the rest of her upbringing. She is the youngest of four children; her elder siblings include Henry, born  (1950-06-02) June 2, 1950 (age 73), Lawrence, born  (1952-02-08) February 8, 1952 (age 71), and Dianna, born  (1955-11-25) November 25, 1955 (age 68).

## Education and law career

Schwartz attended public schooling growing up. She began her education in 1965, attending a public elementary school in Brooklyn. After moving to Ohio in 1966, Schwartz continued her education in public schooling. She began high school at Shaker Heights High School in 1973, where she was an honors student and member of her school's girls track and field team. Schwartz graduated from high school in 1977, and afterwards moved to Chicago, Illinois to attend the University of Chicago. She graduated with her bachelor's degree in economics in 1981.

After finishing her undergraduate degree, Schwartz moved to South Bend, Indiana to attend Notre Dame Law School at the University of Notre Dame. She graduated with her law degree in 1984. After finishing her education, Schwartz returned to Cleveland, Ohio and began working in copyright law. She founded her own law firm in 1992. Schwartz left her law career in 1997, in order to begin her political career.

## Political positions

*Main article: Political positions of Dorothy Schwartz.*

## Personal life

Schwartz began a relationship with orthopedic surgeon Mark Schwartz in 1988. They became engaged in 1991, and later married the following year. They have three children together: Lena, born  (1993-11-30) November 30, 1993 (age 30), Camilla, born  (1995-03-27) March 27, 1995 (age 28), and Jason, born  (1999-08-03) August 3, 1999 (age 24). Her son Jason came out as gay in 2014; Schwartz frequently states how she is passionate on issues of LGBT rights because of her son.

Schwartz and her family are Jewish. The family owns two homes: a five-bedroom home in Chagrin Falls, Ohio and a six-bedroom home in Chevy Chase Section Five, Maryland. Schwartz and her entire family made aliyah to Israel in 2002, receiving Israeli citizenship; they do not live in Israel nor own any residences there.