(This story has been updated to include a comment from Doug Bugie.) 

Staffing industry veteran Doug Bugie did not prevail in his bid to represent Ohio’s District 7 in the US House of Representatives. Bugie was running as a Democrat in the state’s March 19 primary election. He received 18.24% of the vote, according to the Ohio Secretary of State’s website. Fellow Democrat Matt Diemer won with 81.76%. Diemer will go on to compete against Republican Max Miller in the general election. Miller is the incumbent and has received the endorsement of former President Donald Trump.

Bugie’s experience in the staffing industry includes serving as CEO of Antal International Network and CEO of Norman Broadbent International. Bugie also co-founded recruitment franchise Humana International with James Caan in 1992, when Bugie lived in London. Caan was one of the judges on a television show called “Dragon’s Den,” the UK version of “Shark Tank.” The Humana business was later sold to a publicly traded firm called CDI, which later sold to MRINetwork. In 2022, MRINetwork was acquired by HireQuest Inc. Bugie is also country director of Recruitment Entrepreneur USA, Caan’s investment firm.

In an interview with SIA, Bugie said he doesn’t regret running. Standing up for the issues reflects well on the staffing industry, demonstrating that recruiting pros care about wider issues. “The industry has to be intricately involved in the societies we are part of,” he said.

About his stance on issues, Bugie said he wanted to close the border but not end legal immigration. He does not favor US isolationism, instead saying he believes the country should stand with its allies and remain in NATO. “I was a force for ‘let’s continue the relationships and deepen them,’” he said.