Patricia Rucker is a Republican member of the West Virginia Senate, representing the 16th district since January 11, 2017. Rucker serves as chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee, where she has attracted attention for her support of charter schools and education savings accounts. The first Hispanic woman to represent West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle, Rucker emigrated from Venezuela with her family in 1981 and became a U.S. citizen in 2004.