Wes Retherford

Richard Weston "Wes" Retherford (born March 14, 1984) is a former member of the Ohio House of Representatives. He represented the 51st district which comprises Ross Township, Hamilton and Fairfield, all located in Butler County, Ohio.

Wes Retherford
Member of the Ohio House of Representatives
from the 51st district
In office
January 7, 2013 – December 31, 2018
Preceded byCourtney Combs
Succeeded bySara Carruthers
Personal details
Born (1984-03-14) March 14, 1984
Hamilton, Ohio, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Residence(s)Hamilton, Ohio, U.S.
Alma materTalawanda High School
ProfessionMortician's Assistant

Life and career

Retherford is a lifelong resident of Butler County and a graduate of Talawanda High School. Following high school, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and served until 2004. [1]

Currently, Retherford is employed as a mortician's assistant. He lives in Hamilton, Ohio with his wife and two children.

Ohio House of Representatives

In 2012, Retherford opted to run for an open seat in the Ohio House of Representatives to succeed Courtney Combs who was term limited. Unopposed in the Republican primary, he went on to defeat Democrat Mark Hardig in the general election with 56.66% of the vote.

In January 2013, Retherford announced that he had been assigned to the following House Standing Committees: Insurance, Agriculture and Natural Resources, and Military and Veteran Affairs.

He was also elected by his peers to serve as the Vice-Chairman of the bipartisan House Veteran's Caucus.[2]

Arrest

On March 12, 2017 Retherford was arrested after being reported to police for passing out in his car at a McDonald's drive-thru. Retherford was charged with "improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle, a felony, and operating a vehicle while under the influence, a first-degree misdemeanor."[3][4]

The Butler County Sheriff's Office released the 911 call made that led to Retherford's arrest, who was allegedly passed out in his Chevy Silverado as it was running in the drive-thru of a McDonald's in Liberty Twp.[5]

A woman, who was with her daughter, called for law enforcement at 3:23 a.m. Sunday, March 12, 2017. The caller said the man, later identified as Retherford, was sitting in the drive-thru and "he's not even up to where he orders. He's just sitting there." The incident report states Retherford had a Glock model 23 with 15 40-caliber rounds in a magazine and one round in the chamber in his vehicle. The weapon was holstered inside a compartment underneath the center armrest. Retherford was transported to the Ohio State Highway Patrol post to take a breathalyzer test, which he refused. He was then transported to the Butler County Jail.

References
  1. "Two new faces seek election to Ohio House 51st District". Journal-News. Oct 21, 2012. Retrieved 2012-12-28.
  2. "Butler County GOP retains state representative seats". Journal-News. Nov 7, 2012. Retrieved 2012-12-28.
  3. "Butler County lawmaker arrested after passing out in vehicle with gun". Cincinnati Enquirer. March 12, 2017. Retrieved 2017-03-12.
  4. "Ohio Rep. Wes Retherford allegedly passed out in McDonald's drive-thru". Journal-News. March 13, 2017. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  5. "911 call describes scene leading to arrest of Ohio Rep. Wes Retherford". Journal-News. March 13, 2017. Retrieved 2017-03-13.


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