Centerville Republican announces for Douglas County commission seat

The first candidate to announce for local office in the 2022 Douglas County election stepped forward on Monday.

Centerville Republican Charles Douglas Robbins told The Record-Courier on Monday that he intends to run for Douglas County commissioner next year.

Robbins said he is seeking the District 2 seat presently held by Commission Chairman John Engels.

“Teamwork is the keyword in being a commissioner, standing your grounds,” Robbins said. “What I will do if elected to the position … is bring a solid decision-making judgment while listening with both ears open at the table in what is going on, the future growth of Douglas County, that eventually will only help the greater good of the people we have in Douglas County for the future,” Robbins said in his announcement.

The 75-year-old swimmer and pilot grew up and worked on a Susanville ranch. He moved to Gardnerville in 2005. His watercolor entitled “Range Rider” won the Genoa Cowboy Poetry & Music Festival in 2009.

Robbins is chairman of the East Fork Swimming Pool District Board.

“I am presently trustee elected by the community as chairman to the East Fork Swimming Pool for seven years,” he said.

He is also a trustee on the Douglas County Mosquito Abatement board and past chairperson to the Douglas County Master Plan fact-finding group.

A retired business owner, Robbins owned the Crown R Land & Cattle Co., a 7,000 acres cattle and hay operation in California, Robbins Metal Finishing, Robbins Construction, Alamo Mining & Drilling Co., American Fabrication and Metal Finishing and Doug Robbins Ag Consultant & Management.

“I believe I have mastered the business world, along with being a cattle rancher both in the state of Nevada and California and past owner of 16-plus rental homes, so my deep background in the rental and housing industry is a given in understanding the issues going on now in Douglas County.”

A Vietnam veteran, Robbins was a Green Beret, who won a Bronze Star, Air Medal, Combat Infantry Medal, Airborne Wings. He also served as a Scoutmaster, welding teacher, and ice hockey commissioner.

Robbins is a long-distance open-water swimmer, with swims in Croatia, Greece, Spain, the British Virgin Islands and Alcatraz to San Francisco.

He studied ag management and ag engineering at Fresno State University and ag management at Modesto Junior College.

Filing for nonjudicial office is March 7-18.

In addition to Engels’ District 2 seat, Commissioner Wes Rice’s District 4 seat is also up for election.

Neither man has announced his plans for the election.

Douglas County’s overwhelming Republican majority means commissioner and other partisan races are essentially decided in the primary election.

County constitutional officers are all up for election next year, including assessor, clerk-treasurer, district attorney, public administrator, recorder, sheriff and East Fork Constable.