Patricia Rucker is a West Virginia state senator representing the 16th District and serves as Assistant Majority Leader and chair of the Senate’s School Choice Committee. A former public school teacher and homeschooling mother of five, she has been a leading advocate for education freedom, including West Virginia’s Hope Scholarship program. Born in Caracas, Venezuela and a first-generation American, she has served in the Senate since 2017. She also serves on the executive board of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).