A Democrat, Robinette agreed with President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal and was one of the leading opponents within Virginia of the powerful Byrd Organization, who U.S.
Although his mother was born in Illinois, her family descended from Irish emigrants to Bedford County, Virginia centuries before; his parents met and married in Tennessee in 1870.
Robinette was also active in the Masons, helped collect funds for the U.S. armed forces during both World Wars, and also served as chairman of the local Red Cross Chapter.
Lee and Scott County voters elected Robinette to the Virginia Senate in 1931, where he succeeded Republican Ryland G. Craft.
[6] Republican multi-term Virginia House delegate J. Marion Smith of Pennington Gap and Jonesville (whose many jobs included farmer and rancher, Lee County Clerk, Lee County Sun editor, North Fork Coal Company treasurer), succeeded him in the Virginia Senate, officially winning the election the following Tuesday with 10,383 votes to Robinette's 9,605.