Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 8, 1995 TAG: 9511080024
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A8 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PULASKI LENGTH: Medium
His Republican challenger was Norman Dowdy, who retired in June after 36 years as a state trooper to make the race.
Dowdy carried the small Belspring precinct, the first one to be reported at the county courthouse Tuesday night.
"That turned out to be not such a good omen for me," said Dowdy, who was surrounded by supporters at Republican Party headquarters.
He lost in all 11 other precincts, particularly in the large Massie and Dublin precincts.
Dobbins saw the vote as a nod toward experience. He said the race was not a popularity contest.
Dowdy said he met a lot of new people while campaigning, and said the race was not a total loss, no matter what the results.
"I guess the people must have wanted him," Dowdy said. "All I can do is wish him luck. That'll have to be part of my statement."
Dobbins was appointed sheriff at the start of 1991 to complete the year left on the term of fellow Democrat Frank Conner, who retired. In November of that year, Dobbins won his first full term.
In this campaign, Dobbins stressed his experience at different levels of law enforcement - as an officer and a sergeant with the police department in the town of Pulaski, and as a sergeant, lieutenant and investigator with the county Sheriff's Office. His duties included both supervisory and administrative tasks.
Between handshakes from well-wishers Tuesday, he said that it is necessary to have experience in such an office to be truly effective. During his campaign, Dobbins spoke of his achievements while in office, including the inauguration of an anti-drug program in county schools, keeping an eye on senior citizens and pushing neighborhood crime-watch activities. Dobbins also arranged to house female inmates in the county jail along with males, which saved the county from paying other jurisdictions to house them.
Dowdy had argued that his years of working up to the rank of master trooper had covered the kinds of tasks a sheriff needed to know about. Besides working traffic, he said, he has been involved in the investigation of crimes and other law enforcement activities.
He never sought promotion above the level of trooper, he said, because that would mean moving to another area, and he wanted to continue living in the New River Valley, his home since 1964.
Keywords:
ELECTION
by CNB