Susan Ruiz

Representative Susan Ruiz was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 2018 and re-elected in 2020. A native of Houston, Texas, Ruiz is the daughter of a Mexican born immigrant father and a Texas born mother, giving her a unique perspective on multicultural issues. A licensed clinical social worker, she holds a Master Degree in Social Work from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas. Ruiz represents District 23 in Johnson County Kansas, including Lenexa, Overland Park and Shawnee.

As the first openly lesbian legislator ever elected in Kansas, Ruiz has gained national attention having been featured in the Washington Post twice, and she has won recognition from other publications such as Dos Mundos, a bilingual newspaper in Kansas City, Missouri. She was featured during Women’s History Month (2019) as one of the area Latina women making history. Ruiz was also included in the Go Magazine, 100 Women We Love: Class of 2019; received the “You Go Girl” (2019) award from the Greater Kansas City Women’s Political Caucus and in 2020, an award from the KS Mental Health Coalition for Exemplary Leadership and Collaboration.