• Office Sought: Representative, Missouri (3)
• Birth Date: July 10, 1958
• Occupation: Attorney, State Representative
• Religion: United Methodist
• Web site: http://www.russcarnahan.com
• E-mail address: info@russcarnahan.com

Education

• University of Missouri, BS
• University of Missouri, JD

John "Russ" Carnahan grew up in a political family in Rolla, Mo. His grandfather, A.S.J. Carnahan, served seven terms in Congress and as ambassador to Sierra Leone.

His father, Mel Carnahan, twice won election as Missouri governor, then died campaigning for U.S. Senate against then-Sen. John Ashcroft. After voters elected his father to the seat posthumously, his mother, Jean Carnahan, was chosen to serve in his place. She failed to retain the seat, losing to Jim Talent in a special election in 2002.

That happened in 2000, the year Russ Carnahan first won election to the state House, and in 2002, he won re-election. The legislature was not Carnahan's first target for becoming a public servant. Carnahan ran for Congress in 1990 against longtime Republican Rep. Bill Emerson, but he was soundly beaten by a vote of 57 percent to 43 percent.

Campaigning has been a family affair for Russ Carnahan's generation. He and his brothers Tom and Randy and sister Robin stumped across Missouri with their dad, who ran for municipal judge and state House and Senate before winning terms as Missouri treasurer, lieutenant governor and governor.

The Oct. 16, 2000, plane crash also killed Randy Carnahan, who was piloting his father's plane, and a family friend and campaign aide, Chris Sifford.

All four Carnahan children earned law degrees. Russ Carnahan worked for the Missouri House, and later practiced law in St. Louis and Rolla and at a nonprofit health care company.

He was elected to the U.S. House in 2004.

Carnahan, sometimes "Rusty" to his family, is married to Debra Carnahan, a judge in the St. Louis Municipal Court. They have two sons.