Governor of Oregon

Oregon Governor
General information
Office Type:	Partisan
Office website:	Official Link
Compensation:	$98,600
2023-25 FY Budget:	$30,955,627
Term limits:	8 years in office during any 12 year period
Structure
Length of term:	4 years
Authority:	Oregon Constitution, Article V, Section I
Selection Method:	Elected
Current Officeholder
Governor of Oregon Tina Kotek Democratic Party Assumed office: January 9, 2023
Elections
Next election:	November 3, 2026
Last election:	November 8, 2022
Other Oregon Executive Offices
Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Superintendent of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Commissioner • Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commission

The Governor of the State of Oregon is an elected constitutional officer, the head of the executive branch, and the highest state office in Oregon. The governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and is limited to two four-year terms out of a 12-year span.

Oregon has a Democratic trifecta. The Democratic Party controls the office of governor and both chambers of the state legislature.

Oregon has a Democratic triplex. The Democratic Party controls the offices of governor, secretary of state, and attorney general.

See also: Oregon State Legislature, Oregon House of Representatives, Oregon State Senate

Current officeholder

The current Governor of Oregon is Tina Kotek (D). Kotek assumed office in 2023.

Authority

The Oregon Constitution addresses the office of the governor in Article V, the Executive Department.

Under Article V, Section I:

The cheif [sic] executive power of the State, shall be vested in a Governor...

Qualifications

State Executives
Current Governors
Gubernatorial Elections
2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014
Current Lt. Governors
Lt. Governor Elections
2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014

A candidate for the governorship must be:

• a United States citizen
• at least 30 years old
• a resident of Oregon for at least three years

The age requirement does not apply to someone who succeeds to office under Section 8a of Article V.

Vacancies

See also: How gubernatorial vacancies are filled

Details of vacancy appointments are addressed under Article V, Section 8a.

The state of Oregon has no formal office of the lieutenant governor. Instead, the secretary of state serves as the ex officio lieutenant governor and succeeds the governor if the latter dies, resigns, is removed from office, or is unable to discharge the office.

After the secretary of state, the treasurer, the President Pro Tem of the Senate, and then the Speaker of the House shall follow in the line of succession.

An acting governor holds the office until the governor's disability is removed or until the next biennial election, when a special election shall be held. When the treasurer or secretary of state is the acting governor, an appointment is made for someone to fill the office of the treasurer or secretary of state.

An appointed treasurer or secretary of state may not succeed to the elected governorship.

Elections

Oregon state government organizational chart

Oregon elects governors in the midterm elections, that is, even years that are not presidential election years. For Oregon, 2018, 2022, 2026, 2030, and 2034 are all gubernatorial election years. Legally, the gubernatorial inauguration is always set for the second Monday in the January following an election.

In the event of a tie, a joint session of the legislature shall cast ballots to choose from the two top vote getters. If the election is contested, the legislature shall decide the manner of addressing and settling the contest.

Term limits

See also: States with gubernatorial term limits

Oregon governors are restricted to 8 years in office during any 12 year period.

Oregon Constitution, Article V, Section 1

The cheif [sic] executive power of the State, shall be vested in a Governor, who shall hold his office for the term of four years; and no person shall be eligible to such office more than Eight, in any period of twelve years.

Partisan composition

The chart below shows the partisan breakdown of Oregon governors from 1992 to 2013.

2022

See also: Oregon gubernatorial election, 2022

General election

General election for Governor of Oregon

The following candidates ran in the general election for Governor of Oregon on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Tina Kotek (D / Working Families Party)	47.0	917,074
		Christine Drazan (R)	43.5	850,347
		Betsy Johnson (Independent)	8.6	168,431
		Donice Smith (Constitution Party)	0.4	8,051
		R. Leon Noble (L)	0.4	6,867
		Paul Romero (Constitution Party of Oregon) (Write-in)	0.0	0
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	2,113

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,952,883
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Nathalie Paravicini (Pacific Green Party / Progressive Party)
• Tom Cox (L)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Oregon

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Governor of Oregon on May 17, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Tina Kotek	56.0	275,301
		Tobias Read	31.7	156,017
		Patrick Starnes	2.1	10,524
		George Carrillo	1.9	9,365
		Michael Trimble	1.0	5,000
		John Sweeney	0.9	4,193
		Julian Bell	0.8	3,926
		Wilson Bright	0.5	2,316
		Dave Stauffer	0.5	2,302
		Ifeanyichukwu Diru	0.4	1,780
		Keisha Merchant	0.4	1,755
		Genevieve Wilson	0.3	1,588
		Michael Cross	0.3	1,342
		David Beem	0.3	1,308
		Peter Hall	0.2	982
		Other/Write-in votes	2.8	13,746

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 491,445
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Peter Winter (D)
• Casey Kulla (D)
• Nicholas Kristof (D)
• Dave Lavinsky (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Oregon

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Governor of Oregon on May 17, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Christine Drazan	22.5	85,255
		Bob Tiernan	17.5	66,089
		Stan Pulliam	10.9	41,123
		Bridget Barton	10.8	40,886
		Bud Pierce	8.7	32,965
		Marc Thielman	7.9	30,076
		Kerry McQuisten	7.6	28,727
		Bill Sizemore	3.5	13,261
		Jessica Gomez	2.6	9,970
		Tim McCloud	1.2	4,400
		Nick Hess	1.1	4,287
		Court Boice	1.1	4,040
		Brandon Merritt	1.0	3,615
		Reed Christensen	0.8	3,082
		Amber Richardson	0.5	1,924
		Raymond Baldwin	0.1	459
		David Burch	0.1	406
		John Presco	0.0	174
		Stefan Strek	0.0	171
		Other/Write-in votes	2.0	7,407

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 378,317
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Darin Harbick (R)
• John Fosdick III (R)
• Jim Huggins (R)

2018

See also: Oregon gubernatorial election, 2018

General election

General election for Governor of Oregon

The following candidates ran in the general election for Governor of Oregon on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kate Brown (D)	50.1	934,498
		Knute Buehler (R)	43.7	814,988
		Patrick Starnes (Independent Party of Oregon)	2.9	53,392
		Nick Chen (L)	1.5	28,927
		Aaron Auer (Constitution Party)	1.1	21,145
		Chris Henry (Progressive Party)	0.6	11,013
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	3,034

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,866,997 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Alex DiBlasi (G)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Oregon

Incumbent Kate Brown defeated Ed Jones and Candace Neville in the Democratic primary for Governor of Oregon on May 15, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kate Brown	83.8	324,451
		Ed Jones	8.6	33,464
		Candace Neville	7.5	29,110

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 387,025
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Oregon

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Governor of Oregon on May 15, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Knute Buehler	46.1	144,103
		Sam Carpenter	29.0	90,572
		Greg Wooldridge	20.2	63,049
		Bruce Cuff	1.6	4,857
		Jeff Smith	1.5	4,691
		Dave Stauffer	0.7	2,096
		Jonathan Edwards	0.3	861
		Keenan Bohach	0.3	787
		Brett Hyland	0.2	755
		Jack Tacy	0.2	512

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 312,283
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Independent Party of Oregon primary election

Independent Party of Oregon primary for Governor of Oregon

Patrick Starnes defeated Skye Allen and Dan Pistoresi in the Independent Party of Oregon primary for Governor of Oregon on May 15, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Patrick Starnes	58.7	6,030
		Skye Allen	23.4	2,405
		Dan Pistoresi	18.0	1,846

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 10,281
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Shawn Liebling (Independent Party of Oregon)

2016

See also: Oregon gubernatorial special election, 2016

The special election for Governor was held on November 8, 2016.

Incumbent Kate Brown defeated Bud Pierce, Cliff Thomason, James Foster, and Aaron Auer in the Oregon governor election.

Oregon Governor, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic/Working Families	Kate Brown Incumbent	50.70%	985,027
	Republican	Bud Pierce	43.53%	845,609
	Independent Party of Oregon	Cliff Thomason	2.44%	47,481
	Libertarian	James Foster	2.33%	45,191
	Constitution Party	Aaron Auer	1.00%	19,400
Total Votes				1,942,708
Source: Oregon Secretary of State

Full history

2014

See also: Oregon gubernatorial election, 2014

Democratic incumbent John Kitzhaber won re-election on November 4, 2014.

Governor of Oregon, 2014
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	John Kitzhaber Incumbent	49.9%	733,230
	Republican	Dennis Richardson	44.1%	648,542
	Pacific Green	Jason Levin	2%	29,561
	Libertarian	Paul Grad	1.5%	21,903
	Constitution	Aaron Auer	1.1%	15,929
	Progressive	Chris Henry	0.9%	13,898
	Nonpartisan	Write-in votes	0.5%	6,654
Total Votes				1,469,717
Election results via Oregon Secretary of State

To view the electoral history dating back to 2002 for the office of Governor of Oregon, click [show] to expand the section.

2010 On November 2, 2010, John Kitzhaber won election to the office of Governor of Oregon. He defeated Chris Dudley, Wes Wagner and Greg Kord in the general election. Governor of Oregon, 2010 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic John Kitzhaber 49.3% 716,525      Republican Chris Dudley 47.8% 694,287      Constitution Greg Kord 1.4% 20,475      Libertarian Wes Wagner 1.3% 19,048      Miscellaneous - 0.2% 3,213 Total Votes 1,453,548 Election results via Oregon Secretary of State. 2006 On November 7, 2006, Ted Kulongoski won re-election to the office of Governor of Oregon. He defeated Ron Saxton, Mary Starrett, Joe Keating and Richard Morley in the general election. Governor of Oregon, 2006 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Ted Kulongoski Incumbent 50.7% 699,786      Republican Ron Saxton 42.8% 589,748      Constitution Mary Starrett 3.6% 50,229      Pacific Green Joe Keating 1.5% 20,030      Libertarian Richard Morley 1.2% 16,798      Miscellaneous - 0.2% 2,884 Total Votes 1,379,475 Election results via Oregon Secretary Of State. 2002 On November 5, 2002, Ted Kulongoski won election to the office of Governor of Oregon. He defeated Kevin L. Mannix and Tom Cox in the general election. Governor of Oregon, 2002 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Ted Kulongoski 49.1% 618,004      Republican Kevin L. Mannix 46.3% 581,785      Libertarian Tom Cox 4.6% 57,760 Total Votes 1,257,549 Election results via Oregon Secretary of State.

Duties

The governor is the commander-in-chief of the state military (§ 9). The governor also has the power to grant pardons and reprieves and to commute sentences (§ 14). The governor may convene a special session of the state legislature (§ 12).

Additionally, the governor serves on the State Land Board which is tasked with managing state-owned lands to "obtain the greatest benefit for the people of Oregon, consistent with resource conservation and sound land management."

Other duties and privileges of the office include:

• Making periodic addresses to the General Assembly concerning and the state of the state and making recommendations on legislation (§ 11)

• Upholding and ensuring the faithful execution of all state laws (§ 10)

• Requiring written information from the head of any Administrative or Military Department on their duties and offices (§ 13)

• Vetoing bills, including enjoying a line-item veto and an emergency clause veto (§ 15a). The gubernatorial veto is subject to a two-third majority override of the legislature (§ 15b)

• Making vacancies, including recess vacancies, for all offices not otherwise provided for. The appointment shall be for the remainder of the term if the next general election is within 61 days. Otherwise, a special election shall be called (§ 16)

• Issuing writs of special election for all vacancies that occur in the legislature (§ 17)

• Signing all commissions issues in the name of the state of Oregon (§ 18)

Divisions

Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for information that describes the divisions (if any exist) of a state executive office. That information for the Governor of Oregon has not yet been added. After extensive research we were unable to identify any relevant information on state official websites. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.

State budget

Role in state budget

See also: Oregon state budget and finances

The state operates on a biennial budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:

1. Budget instructions are sent to state agencies in March.
2. State agencies submit their budget requests to the governor in September.
3. Agency hearings are held between September and November.
4. The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the state legislature by December 1. For new governors, the deadline is the first day the legislature convenes.
5. The legislature adopts a budget between February and June. A simple majority is required to pass a budget. The biennium begins July 1.

Oregon is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.

The governor is constitutionally required to submit a balanced budget proposal. Likewise, the legislature is required to pass a balanced budget.

Governor's office budget

The budget for the governor's office for the 2023-25 biennium was $30,955,627.

Compensation

See also: Comparison of gubernatorial salaries and Compensation of state executive officers

See statutes: Chapter 292, Section 311 of the Oklahoma Statutes

The governor, along with the rest of Oregon's elected executives, is entitled to an annual salary, payable monthly, in accordance with Title 28, Chapter 292, Section 311 (§ 292.311) of the Oregon Statutes.

2022

In 2022, the officer's salary was $98,600, according to the Council of State Governments.

2021

In 2021, the governor received a salary of $98,600, according to the Council of State Governments.

2020

In 2020, the governor received a salary of $98,600, according to the Council of State Governments.

2019

In 2019, the governor received a salary of $98,600, according to the Council of State Governments.

2018

In 2018, the governor received a salary of $98,600, according to the Council of State Governments.

2017

In 2017, the governor received a salary of $98,600, according to the Council of State Governments.

2016

In 2016, the governor received a salary of $98,600, according to the Council of State Governments.

2015

In 2015, the governor received a salary of $98,600, according to the Council of State Governments.

2014

In 2014, the governor's salary was increased to $98,600, according to the Council of State Governments.

2013

In 2013, the governor's salary remained at $93,600, according to the Council of State Governments.

Historical officeholders

There have been 38 gubernatorial administrations and 37 governors of Oregon since 1859. Of the 37 officeholders, 20 were Republican, 16 were Democratic, and one was an Independent.

List of officeholders from 1859-present
#	Name	Tenure	Party
1	John Whiteaker	1859 - 1862	Democratic
2	Addison C. Gibbs	1862 - 1866	Republican
3	George Lemuel Woods	1866 - 1870	Republican
4	Lafayette Grover	1870 - 1877	Democratic
5	Stephen Fowler Chadwick	1877 - 1878	Democratic
6	William Wallace Thayer	1878 - 1882	Democratic
7	Zenas Perry Moody	1882 - 1887	Republican
8	Sylvester Pennoyer	1887 - 1895	Democratic
9	William Paine Lord	1895 - 1899	Republican
10	Theodore T. Geer	1899 - 1903	Republican
11	George Earle Chamberlain	1903 - 1909	Democratic
12	Frank W. Benson	1909 - 1910	Republican
13	Jay Bowerman	1910 - 1911	Republican
14	Oswald West	1911 - 1915	Democratic
15	James Withycombe	1915 - 1919	Republican
16	Ben Olcott	1919 - 1923	Republican
17	Walter Marcus Pierce	1923 - 1927	Democratic
18	Isaac Lee Patterson	1927 - 1929	Republican
19	Albin Walter Norblad	1929 - 1931	Republican
20	Julius L. Meier	1931 - 1935	Independent
21	Charles Henry Martin	1935 - 1939	Democratic
22	Charles Arthur Sprague	1939 - 1943	Republican
23	Earl Wilcox Snell	1943 - 1947	Republican
24	John Hubert Hall	1947 - 1949	Republican
25	James Douglas McKay	1949 - 1952	Republican
26	Paul Linton Patterson	1952 - 1956	Republican
27	Elmo Everett Smith	1956 - 1957	Republican
28	Robert Denison Holmes	1957 - 1959	Democratic
29	Mark Odom Hatfield	1959 - 1967	Republican
30	Thomas Lawson McCall	1967 - 1975	Republican
31	Robert William Straub	1975 - 1979	Democratic
32	Victor G. Atiyeh	1979 - 1987	Republican
33	Neil Goldschmidt	1987 - 1991	Democratic
34	Barbara Roberts	1991 - 1995	Democratic
35	John Kitzhaber	1995 – 2003	Democratic
36	Ted Kulongoski	2003 - 2011	Democratic
37	John Kitzhaber	2011 – 2015	Democratic
38	Kate Brown	2015 - 2023	Democratic
39	Tina Kotek	2023 - present	Democratic

Issues

John Kitzhaber 2015 ethics investigation

See also: John Kitzhaber recall, Oregon (2015)

Resignation of Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber

Term in office: 1995-2003, 2011-2015

Next in succession: Secretary of State Kate Brown (D)

Related pages Resignation overview February 11 story February 13 story Impeachment amendment Recall effort Cylvia Hayes Kate Brown Ellen Rosenblum Governor of Oregon Governor Vacancy process

Kitzhaber announced his resignation from office on February 13, 2015, effective February 18. The following sections detail the story surrounding Kitzhaber's resignation.

Ethics concerns before 2014 election

On October 13, 2014, Kitzhaber requested an investigation by the Oregon Government Ethics Commission into whether his fiancee, Cylvia Hayes, used her access to the governor's office to improve her consulting business. A story in the Willamette Week indicated that Hayes advised Kitzhaber about economic and energy issues while also providing consulting services in the same policy areas. On February 5, 2015, Kitzhaber announced that Hayes would no longer serve as a policy advisor following conflict of interest allegations. Oregon's government ethics regulations are designed to prevent conflicts of interest among public officials. Hayes did not receive payments from the state when advising Kitzhaber, but the governor's general counsel, Liani Reeves, noted that she was considered a public official due to her dual role as advisor and first lady.

Kitzhaber's aides said that all contracts and policy documents were reviewed prior to approval to comply with state ethics laws. Hayes stated that accusations about conflicts of interest were inaccurate and that she worked as an advisor and outside consultant to ensure "a clean economy and more sustainable future for Oregon." Dennis Richardson (R), Kitzhaber's opponent in the 2014 election, called his administration "inept and unethical."

Financial disclosures

Three ethics complaints were filed against Kitzhaber following his October 13 request, including an October 15 complaint by the Oregon Republican Party, an October 16 complaint by state Rep. Vicki Berger (R) and an October 30 complaint by 2014 Democratic primary foe Ifeanyichukwu Diru. The seven-member ethics commission held no meetings prior to the November 4 general election. A hearing in March 2015 would have determined if the commission proceeded with a formal investigation of these complaints, though Kitzhaber's resignation cast doubt about the commission's role in future investigations.

Disclosures made to the commission in January 2015 revealed $213,000 in earnings as a consultant from 2011 to 2014, including $118,000 in unreported payments from the Clean Economy Development Center. These totals were at odds with statements made by the governor and his staff as well as federal income tax documents from that period. The editorial board of The Oregonian made national news by calling for Kitzhaber's resignation on February 4, given the paper's endorsement of the governor during his previous election bids.

Emails about Genuine Progress Indicator

On February 6, 2015, the Oregon Department of Administrative Services released emails between Hayes, Kitzhaber and department director Michael Jordan regarding a new economic policy called the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI). These emails, sent between April 2013 and April 2014, revealed Hayes' close involvement in implementing the policy. Hayes was under contract with Demos, a New York-based think tank, from June to November 2013. Hayes sent an email to Jordan requesting a meeting on May 13, 2013, to discuss challenges for the GPI, only three days after signing a contract with Demos. An email from October 30, 2013, requested $125,000 to launch the GPI and listed Hayes and Demos among the "Oregon GPI Team."

Emails from the same period showed Kitzhaber's efforts to hire Sean McGuire, an advisor under contract with Demos. McGuire had previously worked with Demos to install the GPI, a measurement of economic progress that takes into account well-being and productivity, in Maryland. On December 30, 2013, Kitzhaber lobbied Jordan to hire McGuire, indicating that he was the "best person to do this work...and we need to find a way to bring him on." McGuire was hired in spring 2014 for a one-year contract totaling $65,000, though Jordan downplayed suggestions that Kitzhaber pressured him into the decision.

Investigation by Attorney General

Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum (D) announced on February 9 that she was initiating a criminal investigation of Kitzhaber and Hayes. She announced the investigation on the same day as Kitzhaber publicly requested a criminal investigation of his administration. The attorney general's office has the ability to request records, issue subpoenas to witnesses and charge the governor and his advisors with illegal activity. Rosenblum delayed an investigation because she was concerned about her office's role as attorney for the executive branch, though former state officials argued that she was responsible for investigating corruption within the branch. Republican legislators including Ted Ferrioli supported the investigation, but argued that a special prosecutor should be appointed to eliminate concerns about Rosenblum's objectivity in dealing with a fellow Democratic official.

On February 20, defense attorney Janet Hoffman sent a request to halt review of Kitzhaber's emails by the attorney general until she had an opportunity to evaluate the documents. Hoffman argued that the former governor's personal emails were co-mingled with official emails without his permission. She also argued that DAS did not "legitimately possess" personal emails, invalidating the documents from becoming evidence in state or federal investigations. Hoffman also requested an independent investigation into leaks of Kitzhaber's emails to Willamette Weekly and The Oregonian.

The state ethics commission suspended its investigation on February 11.

Speculation about resignation

On February 11, local and national media speculated that Kitzhaber could resign from office. The governor canceled a Valentine's Day appearance with Tigard-based Friends of Trees on that day. The head of Friends of Trees, Scott Fogarty, noted that the plans were tentative and saw no connection with ongoing ethics concerns. Jim McDermott, an attorney representing Kitzhaber, told reporters on the 11th that the governor had no intention of resigning. Kitzhaber confirmed McDermott's statement later in the day in an interview with The Statesman Journal.

Secretary of State Kate Brown (D) also stoked speculation by ending a trip to Washington, D.C., two days early to return home on the 11th.

Kitzhaber denies intent to resign

Late in the day on February 11, Kitzhaber issued an official statement denying that he had any intention of resigning: "Let me be as clear as I was last week, that I have no intention of resigning as Governor of the state of Oregon."

Sources report Kitzhaber change-of-heart

On February 12, multiple outlets reported that Kitzhaber told aides on the 8th that he would resign, requested Brown's return to Salem and met with legislative leaders on the 10th before reconsidering resignation on the 11th.

Kate Brown's February 12 statement

Brown issued a statement in the mid-afternoon on February 12 saying that her return to Oregon on February 11 was requested by Kitzhaber but that when she returned and met with him, he asked her why she had returned to the state. She described this back-and-forth as "bizarre."

The following is Brown's full statement:

"

Late Tuesday afternoon, I received a call from the Governor while I was in Washington, DC at a Secretaries of State conference. He asked me to come back to Oregon as soon as possible to speak with him in person and alone. I got on a plane yesterday morning and arrived at 3:40 in the afternoon. I was escorted directly into a meeting with the Governor. It was a brief meeting. He asked me why I came back early from Washington, DC, which I found strange. I asked him what he wanted to talk about. The Governor told me he was not resigning, after which, he began a discussion about transition. This is clearly a bizarre and unprecedented situation. I informed the Governor that I am ready, and my staff will be ready, should he resign. Right now I am focused on doing my job for the people of Oregon.

”

Legislative leaders, treasurer call for resignation

On the same afternoon as Brown's statement, Senate President Pete Courtney (D), House Speaker Tina Kotek (D) and State Treasurer Ted Wheeler (D) called on Kitzhaber to resign from office. The trio announced their support for Kitzhaber's resignation following an emergency caucus of state Democrats. Wheeler made the following statement to The Oregonian:

"	It is with deep sadness that I ask Governor John Kitzhaber to resign his position as Governor of Oregon. He has accomplished many great things during his long career, and history will be kinder to him than current events suggest. Unfortunately, the current situation has become untenable, and I cannot imagine any scenario by which things improve. Oregon deserves a Governor who is fully focused on the duties of state. I hope the Governor will do the right thing for Oregon and its citizens.	”
—The Oregonian, (2015)

Attempted deletion of personal emails

A records request by Willamette Week and 101.9 FM KINK in Oregon found that the governor's office ordered the deletion of emails from Kitzhaber's personal account on February 5. The order, sent by executive assistant Jan Murdock, asked for all messages in Kitzhaber's personal email to be removed from servers. Several supervisors at the Department of Administrative Service's Technology Support Center refused to comply with the order. Any personal emails used to discuss government business would be considered public records according to the state's open records laws.

Attorney general order for Hayes emails

On February 12, Rosenblum ordered Hayes to deliver personal emails related to state business to The Oregonian following a public records request by the newspaper on December 29, 2014. Attorney Whitney Boise, speaking on behalf of Hayes, argued to Rosenblum that his client's emails were private because she was not a public official. This claim was rejected by Rosenblum's office, which issued the order based on the fact that Hayes worked "extensively on government matters." Hayes had to comply with the attorney general's order or seek an injunction by February 19.

February 13 resignation

Kitzhaber announced his resignation from the governor's office on the morning of Friday, February 13. His resignation became effective on Wednesday, February 18. In a statement to the media, Kitzhaber stated:

"	I am announcing today that I will resign as Governor of the State of Oregon. It is not in my nature to walk away from a job I have undertaken – it is to stand and fight for the cause. For that reason I apologize to all those people who gave of their faith, time, energy and resources to elect me to a fourth term last year and who have supported me over the past three decades. I promise you that I will continue to pursue our shared goals and our common cause in another venue. I must also say that it is deeply troubling to me to realize that we have come to a place in the history of this great state of ours where a person can be charged, tried, convicted and sentenced by the media with no due process and no independent verification of the allegations involved. But even more troubling – and on a very personal level as someone who has given 35 years of public service to Oregon – is that so many of my former allies in common cause have been willing to simply accept this judgment at its face value. It is something that is hard for me to comprehend – something we might expect in Washington, D.C. but surely not in Oregon. I do not know what it means for our shared future but I do know that it is seriously undermining civic engagement in this state and the quality of the public discourse that once made Oregon stand out from the pack. Nonetheless, I understand that I have become a liability to the very institutions and policies to which I have dedicated my career and, indeed, my entire adult life. As a former presiding officer I fully understand the reasons for which I have been asked to resign. I wish Speaker Kotek and President Courtney and their colleagues on both sides of the aisle success in this legislative session and beyond. And I hope that they are truly committed to carrying forward the spirit of bipartisanship and collaboration that has marked the last four years in Oregon.	”
—Oregon Public Broadcasting, (2015)

Federal subpoena

Copy of subpoena available here

On February 12, federal prosecutors issued a subpoena to the Department of Administrative Services for emails and records from Kitzhaber, Hayes and other members of the outgoing administration. The subpoena also sought records of payments to Hayes and her firm, 3E Strategies. All subpoenaed documents were presented to a federal grand jury scheduled to convene on March 10.

Federal prosecutors end investigation with no criminal charges

On June 16, 2017, federal prosecutors ended the investigation into Kitzhaber and Hayes without pressing criminal charges. The investigation involved the U.S. Attorney's Office for Oregon, the FBI, and criminal divisions of the Justice Department and the IRS.

On June 20, 2017, the Oregon Government Ethics Commission restarted its investigation, which had been suspended in February 2015.

Ethics commission finds violation of state ethics laws

In November 2017, the ethics commission released a preliminary report outlining four counts of state ethics violations. The commission and Kitzhaber negotiated an agreement to fine Kitzhaber $1,000 for three violations. Commissioners rejected the agreement 7 to 1.

On January 5, 2018, the ethics commission unanimously voted that Hayes violated state ethics laws 22 times.

Second ethics commission report and vote

The Oregon Government Ethics Commission released a second report on February 14, 2018, expanding Kitzhaber's violations of state ethics laws from four to 11: seven counts of conflicts of interest, three counts of misuse of office for financial gain, and one count of improper gift receipt.

On February 16, the ethics commission voted unanimously that Kitzhaber committed 10 of the 11 ethics violations detailed in the report. The commission dropped one alleged violation—allowing a staff member to care for Hayes’ pets.

Before the commission's vote, Kitzhaber acknowledged responsibility for 10 out of 11 alleged violations but disputed that he had used his public office for personal gain.

Ethics violations can result in up to $5,000 in fines per violation if there is no appeal or settlement. An appeal would go to the state Office of Administrative Hearings. If the results were still disputed, an appeal would go to the Oregon Court of Appeals and then to the Oregon Supreme Court.

On March 28, 2018, Kitzhaber agreed to pay a $20,000 fine in a negotiated settlement.

Resignations from office

There have been five governors in the state's history who resigned prior to the conclusion of their terms. The most recent case of John Kitzhaber, who resigned due to an ethics and criminal investigation concerning conflicts of interest related to his fiancee and advisor Cylvia Hayes, was the first gubernatorial resignation in Oregon since 1952. The following table details these governors and their reasons for leaving office:

Gubernatorial resignations in Oregon history
Governor	Party	End of last term	Resignation year	Reason
Lafayette Grover	Democratic	1879	1877	Appointment to U.S. Senate
George Earle Chamberlain	Democratic	1911	1909	Appointment to U.S. Senate
Frank Benson	Republican	1911	1910	Illness
James Douglas McKay	Republican	1953	1952	Federal appointment
John Kitzhaber	Democratic	2019	2015	Ethics and criminal investigation

History

Partisan balance 1992-2013

See also: Ballotpedia:Who Runs the States and Ballotpedia:Who Runs the States, Oregon

Partisan breakdown of the Oregon governorship from 1992-2013

During every year from 1992-2013 there were Democratic governors in office for Oregon. Oregon is one of seven states that were run by a Democratic governor for more than 80 percent of the years between 1992-2013. Oregon was under a Democratic trifecta for the final year of the study.

Across the country, there were 493 years of Democratic governors (44.82%) and 586 years of Republican governors (53.27%) from 1992 to 2013.

Over the course of the 22-year study, state governments became increasingly more partisan. At the outset of the study period (1992), 18 of the 49 states with partisan legislatures had single-party trifectas and 31 states had divided governments. In 2013, only 13 states had divided governments, while single-party trifectas held sway in 36 states, the most in the 22 years studied.

The chart below shows the partisan composition of the Office of the Governor of Oregon, the Oregon State Senate and the Oregon House of Representatives from 1992 to 2013.

SQLI and partisanship

The chart below depicts the partisanship of the Oregon state government and the state's SQLI ranking for the years studied. For the SQLI, the states were ranked from 1-50, with 1 being the best and 50 the worst. Oregon had Democratic trifectas from 2007-2010 and again in 2013. The state's lowest SQLI ranking, finishing 39th, occurred in 2005. Its highest ranking, finishing 18th, occurred in 2011. Both occurred when the government was divided.

Chart displaying the partisanship of the Oregon government from 1992-2013 and the State Quality of Life Index (SQLI).

State profile

Demographic data for Oregon
	Oregon	U.S.
Total population:	4,024,634	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	95,988	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	85.1%	73.6%
Black/African American:	1.8%	12.6%
Asian:	4%	5.1%
Native American:	1.2%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0.4%	0.2%
Two or more:	4.1%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	12.3%	17.1%
Bildung
High school graduation rate:	89.8%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	30.8%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$51,243	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	18.4%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Oregon. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in Oregon

Oregon voted for the Democratic candidate in all six presidential elections between 2000 and 2020.

Pivot Counties (2016)

Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, two are located in Oregon, accounting for 0.97 percent of the total pivot counties.

Pivot Counties (2020)

In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Oregon had two Retained Pivot Counties, 1.10 of all Retained Pivot Counties.

More Oregon coverage on Ballotpedia

• Elections in Oregon
• United States congressional delegations from Oregon
• Public policy in Oregon
• Endorsers in Oregon
• Oregon fact checks
• More...

Contact information

Office of the Governor
160 State Capitol
900 Court Street, Suite 254
Salem, Oregon 97301-4047
Phone: 503-378-4582

External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• Office of the Oregon Governor