Patricia Rucker
West Virginia State Senator, District 16 since 2016. Did not run for re-election in 2026; leaves office in January 2027.
- In office
- 9 yrs
- Since 2016
- Bills became law
- 26
- 342 sponsored, 2025–2026 session
- Votes missed
- 0.6%
- Chamber median 1.3%
- With party
- 98%
- On votes splitting the parties
- Last margin
- +20.1
- Won 2024
Source: Wikidata, congress-legislators and Open States; 99chambers legislative recordsUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 9:43 AM ET
Committees
As of 2026-10.
- Rule-Making Review · chair
- School Choice · chair
- Agriculture
- Agriculture and Rural Development
- Department of Transportation Accountability Legislative Oversight Commission
- Government Organization
- Government Organization
- Health
- Health and Human Resources
- Judiciary
- Judiciary
- Rules
- Transportation and Infrastructure
Source: Open States committeesUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 9:43 AM ET
Legislation
Legislature--Rule Making · Became law Jun 2026
Crime · Became law Jun 2026
Legislature--Rule Making · Became law Jun 2026
Source: Open States billsUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 4:22 PM ET
Voting record
Where Rucker sits in the West Virginia State Senate
Rucker is closer to the center than 36% of the chamber's Republicans.
Closest: Kevan Bartlett, Rollan Roberts, Tom Willis
Source: 99chambers roll-call scalingUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 5:10 PM ET
With Rucker’s party
- Votes with the chamber's Republicans98%
- Cosponsorships of the other party's bills1%
Black tick: the average of Republicans in the West Virginia State Senate.
Source: 99chambers legislative scores from roll calls and cosponsorships
Key votes
Votes chosen for their effect, not their side: Rucker’s vote, each party’s majority, and the result. An orange vote differs from most Republicans.
| Date | Bill | Rucker | Rep. majority | Dem. majority | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 14, 2026 | HB 4106: Allowing constitutional carry for 18- to 20-year-olds | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 31–3 |
| Mar 14, 2026 | SB 890: Changing certain school calendar requirements from days or months to hours | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 26–8 |
| Mar 14, 2026 | HB 4951: Requiring MDs and DOs to complete continuing education | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 27–6 |
| Mar 13, 2026 | SB 531: Establishing First Amendment Preservation Act | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 31–2 |
| Mar 13, 2026 | SB 641: Relating generally to aboveground storage tanks | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 25–8 |
Source: 99chambers key votes from Congress.gov, Voteview and Open States roll calls
Career
Offices held, and every time Rucker was on a ballot. Filled marks are general elections won; hollow marks are primaries; an orange outline is a loss.
Source: 99chambers results archive (MEDSL, Klarner, state election offices)
Elections
Margin against the seat’s presidential baseline: how the seat voted for president in the same or nearest year.
| Year | Race | Result | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | West Virginia State Senate, District 16 | Won | R+20.1 |
| 2020 | West Virginia State Senate, District 16 | Won | R+3.7 |
| 2016 | West Virginia State Senate, District 16 | Won | R+5.6 |
| 2014 | West Virginia House of Delegates, District 67 | Lost | D+2.6 |
Source: 99chambers results archive
Seats Rucker has held
- West Virginia State Senate, District 16 · since 2016
Source: 99chambers results archive
Who Rucker has run against
- John Doyle (D) · 2024 general, won
- Pete Dougherty (D) · 2020 general, won
- Stephen Skinner (D) · 2016 general, won
- Stephen Skinner (D) · 2014 general, lost
Source: 99chambers results archive
How we know Rucker
One person, matched across every source we use.
- Open States ocd-person/61c66718-ebd4-4ded-827d-14b21ed01b0a
Source: Identity links: Wikidata, congress-legislators, Open States, FECUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 9:43 AM ET