CHARLESTON — Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin prides himself on working well with both Democrats and Republicans.

Tomblin, a Democrat from Logan County, said he tries to work with both parties to better help all of West Virginia.

Tomblin, a Democrat from Logan County, says he treats everyone equal in the Senate.

“The fact that I, especially on the floor of the Senate, when I look back there, I see 33 other senators and I don’t look at them as men or women or Democrats or Republicans,” Tomblin said in a recent interview in his office in the State Capitol in Charleston. “We’re all elected by basically the same number of people to come here and I give everybody their say. I don’t cut anybody off. I think the fact that they get heard means a lot. Now, whether or not they have the votes to get what they want on the floor is a different story. But, that’s up to them to convince people. They have to have a compelling argument or a good cause out there to convince people.

“But, I think I’ve been as fair with the Republicans as I have with the Democrats. Sometimes I take a little criticism from my own party about that, but I think that’s what a senate president should do — give everyone their say and give everyone equal treatment. It’s worked for me and I think it would work for others. On any given vote out there, if I need them, I could probably have at least half the Republicans with me.”

Tomblin said the size of the Senate compared to the size of the House of Delegates may have something to do with how well senators work together in West Virginia.

“There are 34 of us here and we’re a small group. We’re probably a more close-knit group than they are in the House of Delegates where you have 100 people you have to work with over there,” Tomblin said.

When arguments break out on the floor between senators, Tomblin said it usually ends up in his office with him working things out.

“The final decision is made right here on where we go or the direction in which we’ll go,” Tomblin said. “When there are disputes among members, it ends up in here. That’s tough to do, because we’re all equals here. I just happen to have one more title than they do.

“And that’s probably one of the toughest parts when you have conflicts between two members and they can’t resolve it on their own and it ends up here and I have to make a decision. That’s tough. It’s almost like having a house full of kids and you have two of them fighting and you have to say one is right and one is wrong or both of you go back to your corner for awhile. They are senators just like I am, but this is where the final decisions are made.”