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Sometimes it’s a particular issue; other times it can be a single vote, a comment made, or the potential for missed opportunities. But this time? For Glen Dale resident Bob Dobkin? What convinced him to file candidacy papers to run as a Republican in West Virginia’s 2nd Senatorial District? Just so happens, Dobkin recalls the very moment … and he tells it best. “I can tell you exactly when it was,” the first-time candidate said. “On September 10th of last year, that was the day that Charlie Kirk was assassinated. So, that was a big day, especially for our youth in our country. So, I went home like every other day and had dinner with my family and talked about that tragedy, and that evening I also sat down with my son and my son was shook to the core. That's when I realized just how the state of politics for our young people has been full of divide and hate and vitriol. Amy and Bob really enjoy their trips to Tucker County, home of Blackwater Falls State Park, Canaan Valley Resort State Park, and the Monongahela National Forest. “So, our kids, that's all they know right now is the politics of 2020s. They don't remember when politics was civil. They don't remember when there was political discourse and debate regardless of the side of the aisle that you sat upon,” he said. “That's their perception of politics. That's their perception of our government. So, I slept on that that night, and the next day, September 11th, I went to work, and as always, I went down to the 9/11 memorial service at Heritage Port. “I listened to the pastors and the community leaders talk about the events of September 11th and also talk about what happened the day before with Charlie Kirk, the political assassination, and the divide in our country and political violence. And so, I walked back up into my office and my phone rings and it's a dear friend of mine who's been a mentor of mine for a very long time,” Dobkin explained. “We talked about the same two things – 9/11 and Charlie Kirk – and he had encouraged me to use my experience, to use my voice, and to act upon making a change. That’s why I knew that day, because of the events of those two days and after that telephone call, that I was going to use what I had to make a difference in West Virginia.” Dobkin has enjoyed his time on the campaign trail because he's had the chance to speak with a plethora of people across the 2nd District. Does he wish to identify the mentor? “Yeah, absolutely,” Dobkin said. “His name is Joe Eddy. He's running for state senate in District 1 in West Virginia, and I hold him in the highest regard. Joe and I have been friends for a very long time. He's been a mentor of mine and a true, true friend and a true inspiration. A civil rights leader named Frederick Douglass once said something like, ‘I prayed for freedom over and over again and nothing changed until I started praying with my legs." So, that's what I'm doing with my campaign,” the Republican said. “That's what I've been doing since November. I'm going to act, and I think we need more people to take action if we want to see change.” Where's Dobkin?!? Well, if you look closely enough, you will find the outdoorsman enjoying the view during one of his many camping trips in West Virginia. Now Is the Time He’s an attorney with Spilman Thomas & Battle in downtown Wheeling, and Dobkin, his wife, Amy, and son, Ben, love outdoor activities like camping, hiking, and hunting, and yes, they are tourists in the same state in which they were raised. Politics, though, has been something the candidate has followed since he was a teenager, but running for an elected position was, in his words, “the last thing I saw on my radar.” “I've spent a lifetime interested in politics and I grew up in the Reagan era,” the 50-year-old explained. “I've spent a lifetime interested and engaged in political discourse, and my wife, Amy, used to make fun of me because all my friends would watch NFL and I'd be watching C-SPAN. I've always kind of geeked out on it, but I never gave it a serious thought to actually enter the political arena until it all came together for me last September. Bob is an attorney with the Spilman Thomas & Battle law firm that is located in downtown Wheeling. “I think now is the time; I really do,” he said. “I truly believe it’s on us right now because those who are in power; a lot of those people who are involved with politics today are living in a world of performative politics. It's political theater, and the concern for me has been increasingly frustrating with the lack of civility and the lack of decorum. “I'm telling you right now, from my experience talking with voters in the 2nd District, people are tired of this. People want results. They're so sick of the rhetoric. They are so sick of adults not being able to work together as part of a team to address these issues in the state of West Virginia, so that's why I'm doing it.” Dobkin’s primary duties as an attorney with Spillman, according to the firm’s website, involve corporate and business law, real estate, mineral law, estate and trust planning and administration, and most days he advises his clients on a plethora of legal matters, including business formation, land development, estate plans, asset protection, and much more. W.Va. Sen. Charlie Clements (R-2) joined Dobkin when he filed inside the State Capitol in Charleston. “That means I’ve spent my adulthood solving complex problems. Whether that was for a business or part of a legal dispute between two parties, I've always had the ability to help find solutions in difficult matters,” he said. “I've always had the ability to have tough conversations with parties, with people, in order to find common ground and create solutions to whatever the complex issue is. “It's just a matter of working together, right? We're all human, right? We're all not always going to get what we want,” Dobkin said. “Maybe Mick Jagger said it best when he said ‘You get what you need’, and what we need in West Virginia is workforce participation, we need to solve poverty, we need access to affordable healthcare, and we need to improve our student success rates. “That's what we need, so, we've got to be able to get beyond our own personal ideologies on these issues and to get what we need for the state of West Virginia and for everyday West Virginians. We need to come together and I don't care if you're a Republican or Democrat or Libertarian or in the Mountain Party. All of these issues affect us all.” https://ledenews.com/a-qa-with-robert-dobkin-freedom-is-not-just-our-heritage/ https://ledenews.com/w-va-sen-charles-clements-not-seeking-re-election-endorses-marshall-county-resident-robert-dobkin/ Read the full article

Robert “Bob” Dobkin wants to be a part of a government that accelerates progress instead of slowing it, he wants to be neighbor and not a politician, and he wants to be a lawmaker who works with his colleagues to improve and diversify the state’s economy until it’s diversified and improved. That’s why he’s running; to be part of the solution like his predecessor – Sen. Charles Clements – was during his 10 years of service in the state Senate. Dobkin also hopes to be part of the solution when it comes to Raylee’s Law, a piece of legislation doomed by partisan politics in the final hours of the Legislature’s regular session. Composed and proposed in honor of Raylee Browning, an 8-year-old girl who died in 2018 of severe abuse and neglect after teachers sounded alarms. The child was pulled from school, but “Raylee’s Law” would have kept her in the classroom for two weeks while any abuse allegations were investigated. Instead, Raylee was beaten, starved and kept in poor living conditions, and she passed away one day after Christmas in 2018 from sepsis. “This will be the first issue I wish to address,” Dobkin pledges below. “Because no child should ever slip through the cracks when help is needed most.” With Dobkin, it’s all about solutions. Dobkin has been traveling the 2nd Senatorial District for more than a month in an effort to meet as many local officials as possible. What convinced you to run for the seat representing the 2nd District? All of us agree, we can do better—and I’m ready to lead that effort. I believe it’s time for a West Virginia that works — for everyone. For too long, our state has struggled to reach its potential. We’ve seen too many young people leave in search of opportunity, too many communities facing economic uncertainty, and too many policies that slow progress rather than accelerate it. We need to focus on the issues that will make West Virginia a great place to live, work, and raise a family.  What is the best piece of campaign advice you’ve received from an elected official? It’s short and simple, yet so profound: Be yourself—be a neighbor, not a politician. Simple. Direct. Real.   Not only do he and his wife work in West Virginia, but they are tourists, too, and they adore their trips to Tucker County. Except for where you live in the 2nd Senatorial District, where is your favorite area of West Virginia to visit? Tucker County. My family loves to spend time in nature—it’s where we feel closest to God. And we love adventure—on the water, on the trail, on the slopes, or sleeping under the Milky Way. We visit Blackwater and Canaan Valley state parks often in all four seasons. Sometimes we stay at the lodge or rent a cabin. But the best times are sleeping in the bed of the truck on a forest road! Backpacking Dolly Sods Wilderness is also a great way to make memories that will last a lifetime. Tucker County is our playground away from home. Bob really enjoys the outdoors, and he enjoys taking trips with his son, Ben, so he, too, can understand the importance of environmental preservation. What is your favorite piece of West Virginia history? Our state motto: Montani Semper Liberi, “Mountaineers are always free,” was actually suggested by Joseph H. Diss Debar of Doddridge County (current day Second Senatorial District) and adopted by the very first West Virginia legislature. That’s more than a motto. It’s who we are. It speaks to the grit, independence, and self-reliance of the people of West Virginia. It reflects generations who carved out a life in these mountains, who stood strong in the face of hardship, and who refused to be controlled by distant powers. But here’s the truth we must never forget: freedom doesn’t just exist on its own. Our Founders understood that. That’s why the United States Constitution doesn’t just celebrate liberty—it secures it. It creates a system of checks and balances, limits government power, and guarantees our rights—freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, due process under the law. In other words, if our state motto tells us who we are, the Constitution tells us how we stay that way. And today, that responsibility falls to us—all of us. Because freedom is not self- sustaining. It requires vigilance. It requires leadership. It requires citizens who are willing to stand up, speak out, and hold government accountable. I believe in a West Virginia—and United States of America—where government respects the people—the government’s only source of power. Where our rights are protected, not chipped away. Where we honor both the spirit of “Mountaineers are always free” and the structure that keeps us free. Because if we lose either one—the spirit or the structure—we risk losing both. We must stand together, not as Republicans or Democrats, but as free people—committed to preserving liberty for the next generation. Because in these mountains, and in this country, freedom is not just our heritage. It is our responsibility.  Bob and Amy have been married for ()() years, and they appreciate how several cities in the Northern Panhandle are working to preserve their history. What is the first issue you wish to address if elected to the state Senate? My priorities are economic development, rebuilding infrastructure, revitalizing manufacturing, improving education and access to affordable healthcare, promoting West Virginian values, and demanding that the state government tax and spend smarter. All of these issues are geared towards addressing our job losses, workforce participation rates, migration of our best talent, health outcomes, student success rates, and generational poverty. Obviously, the legislature should be laser-focused on these priorities during every session until we see improvement year-over-year in each category. That should be the agenda. Full stop. But one of the biggest tragedies of the 2026 Legislative Session is Raylee’s Law. This will be the first issue I wish to address. Raylee’s Law is about one simple principle: protecting our children when they are most vulnerable. It closes a dangerous loophole by ensuring that a child cannot be pulled out of school during an active abuse investigation, where teachers and school staff are often the only line of defense. This commonsense measure respects parental rights while putting child safety first—because no child should ever slip through the cracks when help is needed most. If we do not protect the most vulnerable among us—our children and seniors—what good are we? https://ledenews.com/a-qa-with-derek-ennis-the-future-of-west-virginia-is-stronger-than-the-stereotypes/ Read the full article

Wiped out after a big day of running (waddling...) and playing (lightly..) at the family reunion! #sleepydoggy #familyreunion #saturdaysarefortheboys #doddridgecounty #park #birthdays #anniversaries #celebrations