[4] He ran for office with the goal of focusing on economic development and business-friendly policies, and he has said that increased employment is key to solving issues such as uninsured residents.
[5] In 2006, he was re-elected minority leader over Mike Armstrong and Bruce Chandler after the Democratic Party won a 62-36 majority in the House.
[8] This was a campaign issue in the 2014 election, with DeBolt pledging not to institute new taxes to fund schools, in contrast with his opponent.
[8][10] In 2013, DeBolt was selected to be the Ranking Republican on the House Capital Budget Committee, a position he held until his retirement from the legislature.
[12] He has been involved with United Way of Lewis County, including serving as a board member[9][16] and securing $3 million of funding for a pre-school.