Susan Ruiz

Susan Ruiz was born in Houston, Texas and earned a high school diploma from Jefferson Davis High School. She went on to earn a bachelor's degree and master's degree in social work from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas. Her professional experience includes serving as a social worker. Ruiz has served as an emergency services manager, a service coordinator at the Wyandot Center, and an intensive community services team leader at Truman Medical Center.[1][2]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Throughout my life — from growing up in a Mexican-American household, to helping people as a social worker — I learned the immense value of helping underrepresented communities through public education, advocacy, affordable and accessible healthcare, civil rights and much more.

I became a first-generation college graduate, earning both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, TX. I moved to Kansas in 1993 and have been a proud resident of Shawnee, KS for the past 28 years.

In 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024, I was honored to be elected as KS State Representative in District 23, serving Shawnee, Lenexa and Overland Park. It is truly the honor of my lifetime to be able to represent District 23 and make sure their voice is heard.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Every child should have a clear path to quality education. We must invest in our children and give them every opportunity to succeed. Kansas’s issues with school funding are well known and while we have worked in the legislature to reverse the damage, we need to do more to invest in our children, our teachers, and provide them with the tools they need to succeed. We must especially fully fund special education in Kansas, separate from our obligation to fund our public schools.My parents, especially my father taught me to participate in our democracy through the simple act of voting.

He became a US citizen after immigrating from Mexico and he held a strong belief in exercising his right to vote. It was only after I became an adult that I realized my parents had to pay a Poll Tax. The poll tax kept the minority population from voting.

I will continue to focus on changing the laws to make it easier to vote. We must stop every attempt to lead us back to the days of paying a poll tax.Not all people in Kansas are able to get an equal chance at succeeding due to their race, socio-economic status, health diagnosis, gender identity, immigration status, or sexual orientation. I have, and will continue to work on legislative measures that will put an end to discriminatory practices in our state and invest in the advancement and safety of our communities.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Protect access to healthcare including mental and reproductive health.

Fully fund our public schools and prevent the use of vouchers to fund private schools.

Honor our Veterans through state policies that will enhance their lives and increase access to healthcare and benefits.

Support small business owners, especially minority business owners by increasing access to start-up funds.

Protect immigrants as they increase our workforce and economy.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

I am running unopposed and endorsements will be received after the primary. Feel free to check-out my campaign website to see previous endorsements.

Susan Ruiz did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

Susan Ruiz did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Susan Ruiz did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2020 Candidate Connection survey.