John J. H. "Joe" Schwarz (b.November 15, 1937), a Republican from Michigan, was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2004. He represents the state's 7th Congressional district (map)

Schwarz was born and raised in Battle Creek, Michigan. He graduated from Battle Creek Central High School, received a B.A. in History from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 1959, and an M.D. from Wayne State University, Detroit, in 1964. He has been a practicing physician in Battle Creek since 1974 and only gave up his practice following his election to Congress in 2004. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. His first wife died and he is divorced from his second wife. He has one daughter from his first marriage.

Prior to his election to Congress, Schwarz served in Indonesia and Southeast Asia, first in the U.S. Navy as a physician from 1965 to 1967 and then as a Central Intelligence Agency operative, 1968-1970. After returning, he completed his residency training in otolaryngology at Harvard in 1974 when he returned to Battle Creek to establish a practice. He served as a Battle Creek City Commissioner, 1979-1985, as mayor of Battle Creek, 1985-1987, and as a member of the Michigan Senate, 1987-2002 where he was president pro tempore, 1993-2002. He left the senate due to term-limit laws. Schwarz had lost an earlier attempt to receive the Republican nomination for a seat in the U.S. House in 1992 when he lost to Nick Smith in the primary for the 7th District.

Schwarz has a reputation as a solid moderate, which is fairly unusual for the 2004 freshman class of Republicans in the House. Although a Catholic, Schwarz supports abortion rights, has said he would consider fair tax increases and advocates an increased federal presence in several areas, notably higher education and transportation.

But he is more in line with the Republican Party on overhauling America's medical malpractice laws, which he says lead to frivolous lawsuits and force doctors to demur from treating patients. However, his experience as a doctor also places him firmly in the party's moderate wing on the issues of health care accessibility and embryonic stem cell research.

Schwartz was elected to represent the seventh district of Michigan, to succeed retiring Republican Nick Smith, whose voting record was much more conservative. Schwarz defeated Smith's son Brad Smith in a seven-way Republican primary race. In the general election, Schwartz received 58% of the vote, while Democrat Sharon Marie Renier received 36% and the remaining 6% was divided between the Green, Libertarian and U.S. Taxpayers Party candidates.

External links

• House web site
• Campaign Web site