 His elder brother is former Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl while his father, Robert Jr., is Magisterial District Judge of the city's 26th and 27th Wards.Ravenstahl won a special election May 18, 2010 to become the state representative for the 20th District.In the June 2, 2020 Democratic primary election, Ravenstahl was defeated by attorney Emily Kinkead, only receiving 45.2% of the vote.