A pair of Republican candidates will face off in the upcoming May 21 primary for a chance to run against incumbent state Rep. Pam Marsh, D-Ashland, come November.

GOP voters will choose between retired computer specialist Sandra Abercrombie — who had unsuccessful general election bids against Marsh in 2018, 2020 and 2022 — and Katherine Green, vice president of a property management company.

Neither Abercrombie nor Green responded to multiple requests for interviews by the Rogue Valley Times. Abercrombie said in a private Facebook message to the Times that she would not “go public” until after the primary, and that she agrees with the Oregon Republican Party platform.

Abercrombie’s page on the Jackson County Republican Party candidate website contains no personal details, just a photo. According to candidate information on the Oregon Secretary of State’s website, Abercrombie, 78, graduated from North Bend High School in 1962, and went on to graduate from the University of Oregon in 1974 and Southern Oregon University in 1985.

She lists her professional experience as a computer specialist who previously worked for the U.S. Forest Service, the Siskiyou and Malheur national forests and in data entry for Harry & David, the Oregon Research Institute and the U.S. Naval Submarine Base New London, among other entities. Abercrombie is now retired and serves as a math coach, according to her candidate information. She is also a precinct committee person for Jackson County elections.

Green, 68, lists her professional experience as vice president of Amitel Incorporated, a property management company located in Virginia and Florida. Additional experience includes serving as chairperson of the Marion County Soil and Water Conservation District Board (Marion County, Florida), president of the Children’s Health Defense (Oregon Chapter) and a thoroughbred breeder and hotel owner, according to her candidate information.  She provided no photo to the Times for this story.

Green’s educational background includes half a dozen institutions where she studied liberal arts (Central Florida Community College and Eckerd College in Florida), homeopathy and osteopathy. Her campaign page says he is endorsed by state Sen. Dennis Linthicum, state Rep. Kim Wallan and Jackson County Commissioner Dave Dotterrer.

Democratic incumbent Marsh, who turns 70 in November, said in an interview with the Times that she was eager to continue serving her constituents. She said important issues for the district include ongoing wildfire recovery, the housing shortage, homelessness and recent changes to Measure 110, Oregon’s controversial drug decriminalization law.

On wildfire recovery, Marsh said residents, businesses and school districts need continued support. “We have achieved a lot, and it’s part of my job to keep reminding people in Salem that we still have hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals in our community who have been impacted,” she said.

Two issues tied to wildfire recovery, Marsh said, are the ongoing housing shortage and homelessness. Marsh has supported the redevelopment of hotels into short-term and transitional housing, and she supports creating more resident-owned mobile home parks as a way to combat rising rents.

In addition to serving as state House District 5 representative since 2017, Marsh, according to her candidate info on the state’s website, previously served on Ashland City Council (2012-2016) and the Ashland Planning Commission (2006-2012). 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).

Marsh holds a journalism degree from the University of California, Berkeley and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Southern Oregon University.

Ballots for the May 21 Oregon primary will be mailed to Southern Oregon residents May 3.