Brian Patrick Ruiz was born and raised in Austin, Texas. He is the son of Abel, a former school board president, and Gloria, a former school teacher. He attended Austin High School in south Austin.
At the age of five, Brian received his first glimpse into the political world when his father ran for the Austin School Board. During that time, he would attend school during the day and join his parents at the campaign office in the evening.
Brian’s own political aspirations began when he attended the Democratic Presidential Convention in Atlanta, Georgia with his parents who were delegates. Six years later he became one of the youngest state delegates to the 1994 Texas Democratic Convention in Dallas, Texas.
He followed this by working on several other political campaigns including Congressman Lloyd Doggett’s first congressional campaign in 1994. Brian then went to work on his father’s campaign for state representative in 1995 and early 1996.
Soon after, Brian started St. Edward’s University in Austin and graduated with a degree in Communications. At the same time, he began is career in communications by working in radio as a producer for Clear Channel Radio (ESPN The Zone).
While at St. Edward’s he met his wife Rebecca, an Ohio native, and two years later they were married.
In 2004, Brian and Rebecca adopted their first child, Hannah. During the adoption process, the Ruiz’s found out that they were pregnant with their second child, Christian. The Ruiz’s now call Hutto, Texas home.
In September 2007, Brian made the decision to run for Congress. Though the political seed had long been planted in Brian, he credits fatherhood as being the driving force to his candidacy. His desire to create a better district, country and world for his children is the reason he is running to become Congressman for District 31.
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