Raul Ruiz

Raul Ruiz ( ; born August 25, 1972) is an American physician and politician serving as the U.S. representative for California's 25th congressional district. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

Born in Zacatecas City, Mexico, Ruiz was adopted by his father's sister in Coachella, California after his mother's death. He was the first Latino to receive three graduate degrees from Harvard University, attending Harvard Medical School, the John F. Kennedy School of Government and Harvard School of Public Health. He worked as an emergency physician at the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, California. He assisted humanitarian efforts in the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

In what was considered a major upset, Ruiz defeated redistricted incumbent Republican U.S. Representative Mary Bono in the 2012 election with 52.9% of the vote. He was reelected in 2014 with 54.2% of the vote, after what was considered one of the most competitive congressional races in the country; in 2016 and 2018, he received about 60% of the vote.

Early life and education Ruiz was born in Zacatecas City, the capital city of state of Zacatecas, Mexico. His mother died a few months later, and his father give him up for adoption to his sister, who raised him in Coachella, California. His adoptive uncles were farm workers. He graduated from Coachella Valley High School at age 17 and went to the University of California, Los Angeles in 1990, graduating magna cum laude before attending Harvard Medical School. before taking a job as an emergency physician at the Eisenhower Medical Center, a nonprofit hospital in the Coachella Valley. He founded the Coachella Valley Healthcare Initiative in 2010. In 2011, he became senior associate dean at the School of Medicine at University of California, Riverside.

In 2012, Ruiz received a Commander's Award for Public Service from the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division for his humanitarian efforts for victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. The new district was significantly more Latino than its predecessor; Latinos now made up almost half its population. Ruiz appealed to them by running Spanish-language ads. He criticized Bono Mack for not reaching out to Latino voters sooner saying, "She’s had 14 years to give them the attention that they deserve. This is unacceptable." Ruiz had allegedly supported "Smashing Plymouth Rock. Crush the rock and all it represents." On the tape, supposedly recorded at a 1999 Thanksgiving rally,

He was elected with 52.9% of the vote to Bono Mack's 47.1%. "If the growing sway of Latinos in American politics was the story of election 2012", wrote Politico after the 2012 election, "Raul Ruiz's triumph in California's 36th congressional district was a dramatic subplot." Republicans "didn't seem to fully appreciate the district's fast-growing Hispanic population until it was too late." Ruiz told Politico that his victory was "a reflection of America." Upon taking office in January 2013, he became the first Democrat to represent this district since its creation in 1983 (it had been the 37th from 1983 to 1993, the 44th from 1993 to 2003, and the 45th from 2003 to 2013).

2014

Ruiz competed in the top-two primary on June 3, finishing first with 50.3% of the vote. He then faced the Republican nominee, state assemblyman Brian Nestande, in the November 4 general election. Despite being considered one of the most vulnerable incumbent members of the House, Ruiz was reelected with 54.2% of the vote to Nestande's 45.8%.

2016

Ruiz's 2016 campaign focused largely on his successful attempt to secure funds for the Salton Sea Red Hill Bay restoration project and his efforts on behalf of veterans.

Ruiz was elected to a third term in November, receiving 60% of the vote, over Republican state Senator Jeff Stone.

After winning, Ruiz spoke critically about "the politics of fear" and "hateful rhetoric." Addressing his supporters in Rancho Mirage, he said, "I believe that we need to come together as a nation. I believe we need to heal our wounds and put people above partisanship and solutions above ideology."

Ruiz was reelected with 59% of the vote.

2020

Ruiz was reelected, defeating Republican challenger Erin Cruz, an author and a candidate for the United States Senate in 2018, with 60.3% of the vote. In the primary, Ruiz won 56% of the vote and Republican Brian Hawkins, a San Jacinto city councilmember, came in second with 16%. In the general election, Ruiz won with 57% to Hawkins 42%.

Tenure Ruiz was sworn into office on January 3, 2013, as the U.S. representative for California's 36th congressional district. During the 113th Congress, he served on the Veterans' Affair and Natural Resources committees.

In 2014, Ruiz voted for HR 4038, legislation that would effectively halt the resettlement of refugees from Syria and Iraq to the United States.

In 2017, Ruiz was appointed to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, which oversees healthcare policy. That year he called Obamacare "a giant step in the right direction" while acknowledging that "it is imperfect and needs to be improved." He maintained that the GOP plan would "make premiums and deductibles go up even higher, 24 million will be uninsured...and there will be reduced reimbursement rates to hospitals and doctors for patients on Medicaid...There's nothing to reduce health care costs and out-of-pocket payments." Ruiz said that Obamacare represented "one of the largest improvements in covering Latinos with health insurance." Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Subcommittee on Health Subcommittee on Environment

Caucus memberships Ruiz's caucus memberships include: Congressional Equality Caucus New Democrat Coalition Congressional Hispanic Caucus Congressional Doctors Caucus (co-chair) Indian Health Service Task Force (chair)

Award He received in 2025 a Carnegie Corporation of New York Great Immigrant Award

Personal life Ruiz is married to Monica Rivers, an emergency room nurse. They married in 2014 in the Coachella Valley. Their twin daughters were born in 2015. He is a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Ruiz and his family live in Indio.

Electoral history