Patty Ritchie | |
|---|---|
 Ritchie in 2019 | |
| Member of theNew York State Senate from the48th district | |
| In office January 1, 2011 – December 31, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Darrel Aubertine |
| Succeeded by | Mark Walczyk |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1962-02-22)February 22, 1962 (age 63)[1] |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Thomas P. Ritchie[1] |
| Children | three[2] |
| Residence | Oswegatchie, New York[2] |
| Alma mater | SUNY Potsdam[2] |
| Website | Official website |
Patricia A. Ritchie[3] (born February 22, 1962)[1] was aRepublican member of theNew York State Senate who represented the48th district from 2011 to 2022.[2] Her district encompassed portions of theNorth Country abuttingLake Ontario.
Ritchie is a lifelong resident ofUpstate New York. The daughter of Rita A. and Kenneth H. Hilborne, she was born and raised inDePeyster, New York.[1][2] At 15, she moved with her parents and brother to town ofOswegatchie, New York.[1] She graduated fromHeuvelton Central High School[2] in 1980.[1]
She received anassociates degree in social work fromMater Dei College ofOgdensburg, New York, in 1985.[1] She briefly attendedSUNY Plattsburgh, then transferred toSUNY Potsdam. She was married in 1982 and continued her education part-time while raising her family and working. Ritchie earned herbachelor's degree in psychology in 1991.[1]
Ritchie worked for theDepartment of Motor Vehicles from 1986 to 1999.[1] She was then elected as theSt. Lawrence County Clerk, a position she held from 2000 through 2010.[1] In 2002, she was the unsuccessful Republican candidate forNew York State Assembly district 116, losing to DemocratDarrel Aubertine.[3] In November 2010 she defeated Aubertine, this time for his seat in the State Senate. She was handily reelected in 2012, defeating a little known county legislator from Oswego County. She has run unopposed for reelection three times, in 2014, 2016 and 2018.
In 2011, Ritchie was named Chair of the Senate's Agriculture Committee, where she has been recognized as an outstanding champion of the state's 35,000 farm families and sponsored such initiatives as the Young Farmers Grant and loan forgiveness program.[4] In 2016, Ritchie was named co-chair of the bi-cameral Legislative Commission on Rural Resources, and in 2017, was named Deputy Vice Chair of the important Health Committee, in recognition of her work to improve public health, especially in rural counties, like those she represents.[5]
She and her husband Tom live in Oswegatchie. They have three grown children.[2]
| New York State Senate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | 48th Senate district 2011–2022 | Succeeded by |