My name is
Dr. Rob Bahnsen.
I’m a psychiatrist, a patient advocate, an educator, a team builder, a husband, and a dog dad.
I was raised by blue-collar parents who worked hard to provide their sons with the kind of opportunities they never had. They taught us valuable lessons early on. Hard work pays off. Don’t give up on the people you love. Never forget where you came from.
The greatest lesson came during times of struggle, when I saw people helping people: the importance of community. There was always someone there to lift us up, and we would help others in turn. Teachers, guidance counselors, mentors, neighbors, and friends – all people who helped me because others helped them.
I was lucky to grow up in a healthy community. People who loved me made sure I fulfilled my potential. I became the first person in my family to go to college and to medical school. Because they were there, I am who I am.
Healthy communities help us all succeed.
These days, the same communities that lifted me up when I was young are the ones that suffer the most. As a psychiatrist, I work on the frontlines in Delaware’s largest emergency rooms, intensive care units, and hospital wards to provide care to our most vulnerable neighbors. I hear their stories of hardship and how they just can’t get ahead. I feel their despair when those in power dismiss them, telling them the answer is to work harder for less. I see firsthand how these problems lead to anxiety, depression, addiction, and suicide.
The system isn’t working, and it affects all of us.
When I became a doctor, I swore an oath to keep my patients healthy. I can no longer fulfill that oath until we heal our community. This is why I’m running to be your State Representative – to improve access to quality healthcare, demand excellence in education, and diversify an economy too dependent on powerful interests that don’t care about us. To fight for what people need, so our community can grow strong.
We will all do better when we all do better.
Our journey to create a healthier community begins now.
I’ll be knocking on doors and listening to your story. I want to hear what is important to you and how I can help. I want to earn your trust, your respect, and your vote.
Join us, and let’s put people first—together.
