Biography

Raúl Rafael Labrador was born on December 8, 1967 in Carolina, Puerto Rico.

As the only child of a single mother, Raúl’s home was humble, but it was always a place of encouragement and love. His mother worked many different jobs to make ends meet, ultimately relocating their small family to Las Vegas, Nevada, where she worked in the booming hospitality industry.

Though times were tough, Raúl’s mother often reminded him that if he studied, worked hard, and receive a professional education, he could achieve his American Dream. She even led by example, ultimately earning her degree in education while working full-time, and later, becoming a teacher. This encouraged Raúl to never give up on his own professional aspirations and personal dreams.

In 1985, Raúl graduated from Las Vegas High School. After graduation, he enrolled in Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. From 1987 to 1989, he served a mission for the LDS Church in Santiago, Chile. After his mission, he returned to BYU where he met Rebecca Johnson, and they married on June 28, 1991 in Las Vegas. In 1992, Raúl graduated with a degree in Spanish with an emphasis in Latin American Literature. Raúl later earned his law degree from the University of Washington, School of Law in Seattle, Washington, in 1995.

Raúl and his family moved to his wife’s native Idaho, and the young attorney established a successful law practice with offices in both Nampa and Boise. As a small business owner, Raúl had to balance a budget, make payroll, and manage employees. Owning his own business was an important part of Raúl achieving the American Dream and creating a better life for his children.

Inspired by a desire to serve his fellow citizens, Raúl ran for the Idaho House of Representatives in 2006. During his tenure as the state representative from District 14B, Raúl was known by his colleagues and constituents as a steadfast advocate for free markets, limited government and civil liberties.

After decades of watching politicians in Washington, D.C. grow government to unprecedented and dangerous levels, Raúl again felt a duty to serve his fellow Idahoans---this time on Capitol Hill. To the surprise of many political pundits and members of the media, Raúl defeated his primary opponent and the incumbent Congressman, both of whom outspent him significantly. He was sworn in as a member of the 112^th Congress on Tuesday, January 4, 2011, with his family by his side.

Today, Raúl Labrador is proud to represent Idaho’s First Congressional District, which spans the western half of Idaho from Canada in the north and Nevada in the south. Raúl has stood for Idaho’s values and for America’s future. He has fought for tax reform, fiscal responsibility, regulatory restraint, increased domestic energy production, transparency in government and the protection of civil liberties. He was noted by Idaho and national press as the architect of the Balanced Budget Amendment vote in the debt ceiling negations of 2011.

Raúl is honored to serve on the House Committee on Natural Resources and the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. In 2012, his first piece of legislation passed the U.S. House of Representatives with a bipartisan majority If enacted, this bill would ease regulations on the geothermal energy industry, expanding affordable access to energy for Idahoans.

Lauded as one of the “rising stars” of the Republican Party, Raúl has earned a 100 percent rating from both the Club for Growth and Americans for Prosperity. He also won the “spirit of Enterprise Award” from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for this dedication to America’s job creators.

In February 2012, Raul announced he would seek a second term as the Representative from Idaho’s First Congressional District. In May of 2012, he won his party’s nomination with 81% percent of the vote!

In addition to his public service, Raúl ’s primary interest is spending time with his family. He and Rebecca Johnson Labrador have been married for more than 20 years and together have five children: Michael, Katerina, Joshua, Diego, and Rafael. Their family is active in their church and community of Eagle, Idaho.