By By Okon Ekpenyong
What does representation look like for families navigating legal challenges, New Americans seeking access to resources, and people with disabilities working toward greater inclusion? Republican Ohio Senate District 25 candidate Don Roberts answers those questions by drawing on his background in law, military service, and law enforcement.
William (Bill) DeMora is the incumbent, serving in his first term since 2023, and the 25th District spans parts of Columbus, including the west-side Lincoln Village area, as well as surrounding communities such as Upper Arlington, Grandview Heights, and Minerva Park.
In this Q&A with the New Americans Magazine, Roberts, a former supervising attorney with the Legal Aid Society of Columbus, discusses his priorities for the district, community engagement, and working across political differences.
Your campaign highlights safe communities, expungement expansion, and the rising cost of living. What are the most pressing concerns you hear from residents, and what specific legislative actions would you pursue to address them if elected? 
As a 25-year family law attorney, I feel I have a good idea of what is important in the Franklin County community. They want safety and security in their homes and the streets where they live and work. They want to feel that they have a reasonable level of equality and opportunity to succeed—in pursuing their goals, pursuing success for their children, and having confidence that if they stumble, there are tools, programs, and assistance that will help get them back to moving forward. My platform is less about Right or Left, Democrat or Republican, but truly about ensuring a successful path for the individual who has the desire to succeed.
Many naturalized citizens will be voting in a midterm election for the first time. What would you say to these voters about your approach to representing them, and how would you ensure their concerns are heard regardless of their political affiliation or country of origin?
First, I would congratulate first-time voters! This is a major step in having a voice in your governance and some control over your life, your family, and your community. You have the freedom to vote with knowledge, to vote without knowledge—but rely on the knowledge and trust of others—and you even have the freedom to decide not to vote and depend on others to guide your lives.
I would say to these “new” voters that we all learn every day. Personally, I learn best by engaging with people. Talking with people, sharing with people. In representing clients in the often-stressful world of divorce, custody, child support, and even criminal casework, I learned a lot about people from many different walks of life, from many different parts of the country and even the world. I learned commonalities and differences.
As a candidate and hopefully a state senator, I hope that I can continue to have open engagement with the community I serve because a state senator must work hard to be a voice for the community as a whole, while not forgetting the many different groups (regardless of their political persuasion, heritage, or beliefs). Mutual respect and acknowledgment of differences are key to any elected official’s success in the role that he assumes.
Given your legal background, including your work with the Legal Aid Society, how do you view the challenges New Americans face when navigating complex legal processes, accessing services, and understanding their rights and responsibilities? What role should Ohio lawmakers play in improving access to reliable information and legal resources?
As with most things, hard work and perseverance are the path to success. New Americans face some very specialized challenges, and unfortunately, these sometimes require expensive assistance from legal counsel to successfully navigate the process and meet their goals. However, a great deal of programming and assistance from state and local resources can and should be made available, just as resources for more common issues like expungements, education assistance, and tax help are available.
I hope to help the portion of my district that needs help with “immigrant resources,” where at least the basic resources are made available to assist in developing a roadmap for success for those seeking a path to success through immigration assistance, educational reciprocity, and small business success.
You’ve shown support for people with disabilities and Special Olympics. What policies or state-level investments would you support to strengthen services, educational opportunities, employment access, and community inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families?
My daughter Haley has Down syndrome. A fellow parent of a child with Down syndrome once told me a story of their child wanting to take on a challenge. When the parent suggested the challenge might be too great, the child told the parent, “But I only have Down syndrome sometimes.” That story has echoed in my mind for over 20 years. That story taught me that disability does not define us. Disability does not stop us. It may challenge us to find a new way, to look at things in a different light, or to utilize the help of others.
I have learned more in the 22 years since Haley was born than in all my 60 years of life. I hope to inspire other legislators to join me in creating state and local policies and programs that allow our disability community members to use their gifts and integrate into communities so that their achievements are reflected as our successes. Our programs and resources should be a two-way process where our community (young and old) can immerse themselves in the world of the disability community.
How have your experiences in law enforcement, legal practice, military service, and public service shaped your approach to leadership? If elected, how would you work across party lines to address the needs of all District 25 residents, including those who may disagree with you politically?
I grew up in an urban, low-income neighborhood and learned independent achievement while working as part of a team. I graduated and joined the Air Force, where I learned teamwork, discipline, and respect for authority and process. Upon leaving the Air Force, I tested to become a police officer, and while waiting for a position to open, I managed a Waffle House restaurant, where I learned leadership and teamwork, reliance, and dependence. Upon taking a position on the police force, I learned the importance of teamwork in crisis and stressful situations. As a lawyer, I have learned the need for teamwork in partnerships to achieve a common goal.
Teamwork has been a common theme throughout my life. I don’t look at a challenge without considering how teamwork must be found and configured into the path to success. I do not enter this path as a state senator without full knowledge that I will need the help of those who do not see my goal as their own.
But I see that my independent goal is to be found in the partnership with others and their different goals, where leading will sometimes be done by following and where roadblocks are just additional stressors that force me to see the answer from a different perspective. This will be my mindset in taking on the challenges of my district. Working with colleagues, constituents, and community partners will require a new evolution of teamwork that will evolve into a fantastic resolution! I look forward eagerly and excitedly toward the challenges ahead!
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