Ray Sorensen was born in Creston, Iowa and raised in Fontanelle, Iowa. Ray was given the nickname "Bubba" by his dad, as he was a chubby baby, and the name stuck. Bubba grew up playing sports, showing cattle and drawing. His love for artwork carried into a career as a Graphic Designer and a mural artist.
In 1999, after seeing the movie "Saving Private Ryan", Bubba was inspired to paint a thank you to our Veterans on a large 12ft tall boulder (dubbed the Freedom Rock®). Since then, he has voluntarily painted a different unique thank you on that rock each May (for Memorial Day) since.
In 2007, Bubba married his wife Maria (Galanakis) and they shortly after (2008) started their business, Sorensen Studios.
In 2013, Bubba and Maria started the Freedom Rock® Tour with the goal of putting one in all 99 counties in Iowa. Bubba has now completed all 99 Freedom Rocks® (as of Sept '21) and the 100th in Altoona, Ia, as well as, painting various other mural including Freedom Rocks® in other states.
In 2011, they welcomed their first child, Independence (Indie), in 2014, they welcome the birth of their second child, Michael (Mikey), named after my Dad and Great-Grandpa, and number 3 came in 2021, when Liberty (Liberty Bell, Libby) was born. With the addition of Liberty, we decided - patriotic names for girls and family names for the boys.
Bubba has many accomplishments including many awards for his work and dedication to Veterans through his artwork. From his George Washington Honor Medal from the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge, to being commissioned a Kentucky Colonel by Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher in 2005, to being named Outstanding Young Iowan by the Iowa Jaycees in 2007 and receiving a Commander's Award for Public Service from Major General Timothy Orr, and being inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2019. Bubba has always longed to serve his community and especially for our Veterans who serve our country.
Bubba won the General Election in 2018 and again in 2020, and after census re-districting, Bubba was elected for his third term the new Iowa House District 23. In the election in 2024 Bubba was elected to his fourth term. IAHD23 includes all of Adair and Madison Counties, as well as, portions of Dallas, Clarke and Union counties. So if you live in these areas, Representative Sorensen looks forward to being your voice at our Capitol!
The Budget! Using sound conservative principals, while still funding our priorities and not funding ongoing expenses with one-time monies.
I Chair this combined committee that folded Information Technology into Economic Growth. We will tackle Workforce, Childcare, Economic Development issues, as well as, Cybersecurity, Broadband expansion and all thing Tech for our State.
This newly created committee looks to work with the Federal Government on having a bit more say in how the Fed Funds are spent in our State.
Overseeing matters related to Veterans in our State. Although most Veterans issues are tackled by the Feds, we work on issues like the Iowa Veterans Home and the Iowa Veterans Trust Fund.
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