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Richie selected as Republican candidate for House Steven Richie Tuesday Aug 30, 2016 at 5:29 PM Aug 30, 2016 at 5:32 PM Local report Ashland resident Steve Richie has been selected as the Republican candidate for House District 5, the seat now held by Rep. Peter Buckley. Jackson County Republicans Monday night selected Richie, 52, to run against Democrat Pam Marsh. Buckley is not seeking reelection. The GOP slot came open after primary winner Alan DeBoer opted to run for the state Senate seat that came open when Sen. Alan Bates died suddenly Aug. 5. Even though House District 5 has a large Democratic majority, Richie stated in a prepared release, "I will do well because Republicans, Democrats and Independents are all weary of professional politicians." As a family man and small business owner, Richie said, he can relate to other working-class individuals who would like to keep more of their paycheck and send less money to Salem and Washington, D.C. Richie, a 1987 graduate of Oregon State University's College of Forestry, operates Flame, Inc., a home sprinkler system design business. After graduating from OSU, he worked first with the Washington Department of Natural Resources, then with the Republican caucus in the Washington state Legislature, researching issues for Senate and House members. He and his wife, Natalie, who grew up in Ashland and attended Ashland High School, moved to California in 1998 to care for family members. They moved to Ashland in 2011. Their son, Tanner, 23, is a 2014 graduate of Southern Oregon University. House District 5 includes Ashland, Talent, Phoenix, Ruch, Jacksonville and a small portion of Medford.