A son of the Badger State, he was born on June 1, 1963, in the state's capital city, Madison. He is the ninth of the 12 children of the late John and Virginia (Lohberger) Raab. He has six sisters: Mary Katherine Eagan, Gerianne Nehls, Margaret Martin, Chirstine Clark, Barbara Kerns, and Julie Ann Saalsaa; and five brothers John, James, Paul, Philip, and Lawrence.

He was raised in the Madison suburbs of Leeds and DeForest, where he attended elementary school -- Leeds; and in DeForest for junior and senior high schools. He was granted an associate degree in computer operations from Madison Technical College, Madison, in 1983.

He and his wife Janette (Newman) Raab are the parents of four children: Logan of Madison; Peyton of Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin; Olivia, Pawtucket, Rhode Island; and Thomas of Wrentham.

Employed at enChoice of Austin, Texas, he participated in prison chaplaincy ministry at Old Colony Correctional Facility in Bridgewater during his deacon formation program. He and his wife are parishioners of Blessed Sacrament and St. Mary parishes, Walpole.