During the 2016 campaign, Ruiz's GOP opponent, Jeff Stone, called the Iran deal "one of the most horrific acts of Congress," and criticized Ruiz for having promised not to support it and having ended up voting for it. In a debate, "Stone called Ruiz one of Iran's best friends and asked what he would say to the families of people who had been put to death by the Iranian regime for being gay, lesbian, Christian or Jewish." Stone stated that "Ruiz's support of the Iran nuclear deal was the reason he got into the race."