×

Rucker withdraws challenge to West Virginia Senate President Blair

State Sen. Patricia Rucker ended her campaign to be the next Senate President in a post to supporters Tuesday. (Photo courtesy of WV Legislative Photography)

CHARLESTON — Citing a change in the political winds, state Sen. Patricia Rucker announced Tuesday she was ending her campaign to become the next president of the West Virginia Senate.

Rucker, R-Jefferson, made the announcement on her personal website Tuesday. She said that since the Nov. 8 general election which saw the state Senate’s Republican supermajority grow from 23 seats to 30 out of 34 total seats, the support she once had evaporated.

“At the time of my announcement to run, I believed that I had the votes needed to win. Today, November 22nd, I no longer believe that to be true,” Rucker said. “They say that all things happen in their time. It is clear to me that at this point in time, it would be in the best interest of all concerned that I withdraw from running for President of the West Virginia State Senate.”

Rucker first announced her intentions to challenge Senate President Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, back at the end of August, citing lack of action at that time on tax reform and abortion restrictions.

A special session over the summer saw a 10% personal income tax cut bill from Gov. Jim Justice hit a brick wall after the Senate refused to take up the bill after the House of Delegates passed it. Instead, the Senate adopted a resolution in support of a plan to eliminate tangible personal property taxes contingent on Amendment 2 being approved by voters. Amendment 2 was rejected during the Nov. 8 midterm elections.

Rucker also supported tighter restrictions on abortion, voting in favor of House Bill 302 during the summer special session that ended Sept. 13. But she was unhappy with the length of time it took for Republicans in the Senate and House to come up with a compromise.

“… I gave these reasons for running for that position: ‘I believe that the people of our state expect more from a super majority Republican led legislature and so do I. We are now at an inflection point where the momentum is stalling. We are squandering our opportunities. In the recent special session we literally got nothing done. No tax relief. No right to life legislation. No nothing.'”

“Those reasons still hold,” Rucker continued. “I believed that by running for Senate President, I could provide an alternative that could act as catalyst to provide the unity needed to get things done. I still do.”

Rucker was first elected to the state Senate in 2016 following the retirement of former Jefferson County Democratic state senator Herb Snyder and defeated Democratic attorney Stephen Skinner. She was appointed as chair of the Senate Education Committee in 2019 by former senate president and Jackson County Republican state senator Mitch Carmichael.

Blair has served as Senate President since 2021. He was elected to the state Senate in 2012 after serving four terms in the House beginning in 2002. Around the same time as Rucker’s announcement to seek the Senate President’s gavel, Blair announced that state Sen. Amy Grady, R-Mason, would replace Rucker as chair of the Senate Education Committee.

Instead, the Senate created the new Select Committee on Alternative Educational Opportunities on Sept. 13. Blair appointed Rucker as chairwoman of the select committee, which will continue work on education choice efforts.

“I will never stop fighting for the people of the 16th Senatorial District, just as I have done every day since being elected,” Rucker said. “I will never stop fighting for what I believe is right, and what will make West Virginia a better place for all of its citizens. Those guiding principles will never change, regardless of who Senate leadership may be.”

Steven Allen Adams can be reached at sadams@newsandsentinel.com

Starting at $2.99/week.

Subscribe Today