Biography
Born the son of immigrants and raised by a single mom, Ruben knows what it means to live the American Dream. After growing up poor and working every job he could find to help support his mom and three sisters – at a pizza joint, construction sites, and a meat-packing plant – Ruben became a first-generation college student, graduating from Harvard University.
Motivated to give back to the country that had given him such opportunities, Ruben enlisted in the Marine Corps and deployed to Iraq in 2005 as an infantryman, serving with Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines.
His Company saw some of the worst fighting of the Iraq War, losing 22 Marines and Navy Corpsman to enemy action in eight months. Following his experience in Iraq, Ruben committed to ensuring that servicemen and women are never sent into harm’s way without a plan for winning the fight and securing their well-being.
Ruben was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2010 where he pushed to expand Medicaid and worked across the aisle to secure in-state tuition for all veterans.
In 2014, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Over his ten years in the House, Ruben fought tirelessly for hardworking Arizonans – distinguishing himself as the highest-ranking Latino on the House Armed Services Committee and defending Arizona’s water supply and natural beauty as a member of the House Natural Resources Committee.
In November 2024, Ruben was elected to the U.S. Senate. He was sworn in on January 3, 2025, with the promise to fight for all Arizonans.
Ruben lives in South Phoenix with his wife, Sydney, sons Michael and Cooper, and daughter, Isla.