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Patridge gets look from Bush Among candidates for U.S. attorney By Paul Fattig State Rep. Rob Patridge is among five candidates under consideration for the U.S. attorney post in Oregon. Patridge, 32, who was re-elected in November to House District 50, has been asked by President-elect George W. Bush�s transition team to be a candidate for the job. "People have approached me to ask if I would consider doing it," Patridge said. "I�m very honored to be considered." One of his supporters is former Congressman Bob Smith of Medford, a member of Bush�s transition team. "I�m going to support Rob 100 percent," Smith said Tuesday afternoon. "He�s a bright young man who has earned his dues. He would be an excellent U.S. attorney." Other candidates include state representative Kevin Mannix, a Salem Republican, and two assistant U.S. attorneys with GOP connections � Kenneth C. Bauman and Michael W. Mosmon. Clatsop County District Attorney Josh Marquis, a Democrat, has also expressed interest in the job. Kris Olson, a Clinton appointee, has held the position for seven years. In addition to the U.S. attorney, there are 44 assistant U.S. attorneys in Oregon who are based in Portland, Eugene and Medford. Their principal job is to prosecute federal crimes. Patridge, who was a member of the Medford City Council before being elected to the state Legislature in 1998, served as a deputy district attorney in Jackson County for three years. "I loved prosecuting in the district attorney�s office � I enjoyed the positive effect it had on the community," he said. The job also gave him valuable experience working with local law enforcement agencies, added Patridge, now corporate attorney for the Rogue Valley Manor. But he doesn�t plan to wait by the phone. "They have a lot of appointments to make," he said, adding he expects the decision to take some time. "But just to be asked by the administration to be considered for something like this is a big honor." Patridge, who was reared on a ranch in Eagle Point, has a law degree from Willamette University. He is majority whip in the Oregon House. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.