Born in Zacatecas City , Mexico , Ruiz grew up in Coachella , California . 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 , before assisting 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 Mack in the 2012 election with a 52.9 % to 47.1 % margin . He was reelected to Congress 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
2010 Haiti earthquake
2010 Haiti earthquake
Raul Ruiz (politician)