[4] In 1975 Tobin was elected to be a member of the Kentucky State House of Representatives from the 18th District which comprised Breckinridge and Meade counties.
[9][10] While in the House she served as Chair of the Capital Construction Oversight Committee as well as worked to update the state's judicial system, automobile title laws, and driver's license plan.
In the Democratic Party primary she beat out Jerry Lundergan, Ed W. Hancock, Tom Ray, Logan Turner, and Doris Faye with 143.836 votes.
[14] As Auditor, she started a hotline to report fraud and established the Economy and Efficiency Audit Division as a way to try to stop waste in government.
[2] She sat out of politics for several years but in 1992 she decided to run for the District 5 seat in the Kentucky State Senate.
[18][19] She is a part owner of First State Bank located in Irvington,[citation needed] a co-owner of Brandenburg Telephone company, and owns a 3,300 acre farm.