Pick will be between two Ashlanders as Marsh makes bid for fifth two-year term
By Buffy Pollock, Rogue Valley Times
In the primary race between a pair of Ashland Republicans competing for the chance to unseat state House District 5 Rep. Pam Marsh — an Ashland Democrat — in the November election, Katherine Green garnered nearly twice as many votes as Sandra Abercrombie.
According to unofficial election results as of Wednesday evening, Green has 2,973 votes, or 63% of those cast, to Abercrombie’s 1,662, or 35%.
Green, a 64-year-old vice president of a property management company, was previously unavailable for an interview and did not immediately return a message from the Rogue Valley Times on Tuesday. Green listed a range of experience, from a soil and water conservation district board in Florida and the Children’s Health Defense (Oregon) to horse breeding and hotel ownership, according to her candidate information on the Oregon Secretary of State’s website.
Abercrombie, 68, a computer specialist and math coach who also ran against Marsh in 2018, 2020 and 2022, declined to be interviewed by the Times until “after the primary,” other than to say she supports the Republican Party platform. Abercrombie did not immediately return calls by the Times on Tuesday night.
Marsh, who ran uncontested, is known for her focus on wildfire recovery and addressing homelessness in the region. She said she hoped for a chance to serve her constituents for another two-year term.
Marsh, 69, said her focus, if reelected in November, included continued support of wildfire recovery, the housing shortage, homelessness and recent changes to Measure 110, Oregon’s controversial drug decriminalization law. In addition to serving as state House District 5 representative since 2017, Marsh served on Ashland City Council (2012-2016) and the Ashland Planning Commission (2006-2012), according to her candidate info.
Professionally, she spent the past three decades as manager and executive director of the Ashland Emergency Food Bank (2012-2016), owner and manager of Green Springs Inn (1994-2023) and deputy director of OnTrack Rogue Valley, an addiction treatment provider (2006-2012).
Though she didn’t face an opponent in Tuesday’s primary, Marsh said she was grateful for the show of support — 9,781 of 9,826 votes cast — from her constituency.
“I’m grateful for the support of the people who voted for me, and I look forward to meeting whoever wins the Republican nomination,” Marsh told the Times in an interview Tuesday night.
Reach reporter Buffy Pollock at 458-488-2029 or bpollock@rv-times.com. Follow her on Twitter @orwritergal. This story first appeared in the Rogue Valley Times.
