Tina Kotek
Kotek in 2021
39thGovernor of Oregon
Incumbent
Assumed office January 9, 2023
Preceded by	Kate Brown
67thSpeaker of the Oregon House of Representatives
In office January 14, 2013 – January 16, 2022
Preceded by	Bruce Hanna Arnie Roblan
Succeeded by	Paul Holvey (Acting)
Leadership roles Majority Leader of theOregon House of Representatives In office June 30, 2011 – January 14, 2013 Serving with Kevin Cameron Preceded by Dave Hunt Succeeded by Val Hoyle Speaker pro tempore of theOregon House of Representatives In office January 10, 2011 – June 30, 2011 Serving with Andy Olson Preceded by Arnie Roblan Succeeded by Peter J. Buckley
Member of theOregon House of Representatives from the44th district
In office January 8, 2007 – January 21, 2022
Preceded by	Gary Hansen
Succeeded by	Travis Nelson
Personal details
Born	Christine Kotek (1966-09-30)September 30, 1966 (age 59) York, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Party	Democratic
Spouse	Aimee Wilson ​ (m. 2017)​
Residence	Mahonia Hall
Education	University of Oregon (BS) University of Washington (MA)
Website	Office website
Kotek's voice Tina Kotek welcomes home members of theOregon National Guard. Recorded September 9, 2024

Christine Kotek (/ˈkoʊtɛk/KOH-tek;^[1] born September 30, 1966) is an American politician who has served since 2023 as the 39thgovernor of Oregon. A member of theDemocratic Party, Kotek served from 2007 to 2022 as a member of theOregon House of Representatives from the44th district and from 2013 to 2022 asspeaker of the Oregon House of Representatives.

Kotek became thefirst openly lesbian woman elected speaker of aU.S. state house in 2013. She is the longest-serving speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives, having served for nine years.^[2] She was elected governor of Oregon in2022 and is one of the first twoopenly lesbian women elected governor of aU.S. state,^[3] as well as the third woman electedgovernor of Oregon.^[4]

Throughout her time in elected office, Kotek has championed legislation to increase housing production in Oregon to alleviate the state's housing crisis. In 2019, she spearheaded legislation to make Oregon the first state to removesingle-family-exclusive zoning across the state, permitting duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes in residential neighborhoods previously zoned exclusively for single-family homes. In 2024, her top legislative priority as governor was putting $376 million toward housing production, as well as easing the rules for housing development.

Kotek was born on September 30, 1966, inYork, Pennsylvania, to Jerry Albert Kotek^[5] and Florence (née Matich).^[6][7][8] Her father was ofCzech ancestry, and her mother's parents wereSlovenes.^[9] Her grandfather František Kotek^[10] was a baker fromTýnec nad Labem.^[11][12][13]

Kotek graduated second in her class fromDallastown Area High School.^[14] She attendedGeorgetown University, but left without graduating.^[14] She then worked in commercial diving and as a travel agent.^[14]

In 1987, Kotek moved to Oregon. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in religious studies from theUniversity of Oregon in 1990.^{[15][16][17][18]} She then studied at theUniversity of Washington, earning amaster's degree in international studies and comparative religion.^[14]

Before being elected to office, Kotek worked as a public policy advocate for theOregon Food Bank and then as policy director of Children First for Oregon.^[19] She co-chaired the Human Services Coalition of Oregon during the 2002 budget crisis and co-chaired the Governor's Medicaid Advisory Committee.

In 2004, Kotek lost the Democratic primary for Oregon House District 43. In 2006, she won a three-way Democratic primary for Oregon House District 44, which includes North and NortheastPortland. In the general election, she defeated herRepublican opponent with nearly 80% of the vote.

Kotek ran unopposed for reelection in 2008.^[20] In 2010, she faced a Democratic primary challenge but won over 85% of the vote.^[21] Kotek won the 2010 general election with almost 81% of the vote.^[22] She was reelected every two years through 2020.^[23]

Kotek rose in the House leadership, serving as the Democraticwhip in the2009 legislative session. In the2011 session, she was co-speaker pro tempore with RepublicanAndy Olson due to the House's 30–30 partisan split.

In June 2011, the House Democratic Caucus chose Kotek as its leader (succeedingDave Hunt).^[24]

After Democrats won a House majority in the 2012 election, they nominated Kotek forspeaker of the House for the2013 legislative session.^[25] She was elected to the position, becoming the first out lesbian in the nation to serve as a legislative speaker.^[26][27] She was reelected for in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2021.^[28][29] Kotek is Oregon's longest-serving speaker of the House.^[30]

In December 2016, Kotek became the chair of the board of directors of theDemocratic Legislative Campaign Committee.^[31] She left the post in July 2019.^[32]

In 2020, Republicans worked with Democrats to redraw the districts following the 2020 U.S. census with equal representation from the Democratic and Republican parties as a compromise to have the Republicans stop the use of quorum rule restrictions to stall legislation.^[33][34] Kotek later reversed her decision and restored the Democratic majority on the committee redrawing the congressional districts.^[35][36]

In January 2022, Kotek announced her resignation from the House to focus on her gubernatorial campaign.^[37] She was succeeded as speaker byDan Rayfield^[38] and in the 44th district byTravis Nelson.^[39]

During her time as speaker, Kotek introduced legislation to allow for increased housing construction in Oregon.^[40] In 2017, she unsuccessfully pushed for legislation to permit duplexes in residential neighborhoods that were previously exclusively zoned for single-family housing.^[41] HerHouse Bill 2001, which sought to enablemissing middle housing, required cities of more than 10,000 and counties of more than 15,000 to allow fourplexes in neighborhoods previously zoned exclusively for single-family housing, and to permitaccessory dwelling units and easier rules for subdividing existing homes. The bill passed in 2019, making Oregon the first state to abolish single-family exclusive zoning across the state.^[42][41]

On September 1, 2021, Kotek declared her candidacy in the2022 Oregon gubernatorial election.^[43] Her main opponent in the Democratic primary was State TreasurerTobias Read. She won the Democratic primary on May 17, 2022.^[44]

In the general election, Kotek's main opponents were Republican nominee and former state representativeChristine Drazan and unaffiliated candidate and former state senatorBetsy Johnson.^[45] Kotek won the November 8 election with 47% of the vote to Drazan's 43.5%.^[46][47]

Kotek was sworn in on January 9, 2023.^[48] On her first day in office, she declared astate of emergency due to homelessness.^[49] She established a statewide goal of building 36,000 new housing units a year (up from the 22,000 that were being built in the state when she took office).^[50] At the time she took office, Oregon was ranked as one of the states most severely underproducing housing relative to demand.^[51]

In March 2024, Kotek signed bipartisan legislation to put $376 million toward housing production, including a $75 million revolving loan fund to enable localities to buildaffordable housing, $131 million for emergency housing, $123.5 to enable localities to acquire and develop shovel-ready housing, and $24.5 million to improve the energy efficiency and air quality in housing.^[50] She initially proposed $500 million but legislators considered that too much.^[52]

In 2024, three of Kotek's top aides, including her chief of staff and deputy chief of staff, resigned after registering concerns about the role of the governor's wife,Aimee Kotek Wilson, in her administration.^[53][54] Backlash centered on hiring paid staff for a new "Office of the First Spouse" and Wilson's frequent involvement in policy meetings. Kotek later responded by halting plans to create a formal office and issuing a "First Partner Handbook".^[55][56] The Oregon Government Ethics Commission declined to investigate the issue after a complaint was filed, on the grounds that Wilson had not gained financially from her actions.^[57]

In January 2026, Kotek criticized ashooting which took place inPortland a federal agent, describing it as a "terrible, unnecessary violent event," placing blame at the Trump Administration's controversialrecent deployment of federal agents to Portland.^[58] However, she also would call for a greater investigation in order to establish the specific details of the incident.^[58]

Kotek and her wife,Aimee Kotek Wilson, met in 2005 and married in a private ceremony in 2017.^{[59][dead link]} They lived together in Portland'sKenton neighborhood beginning in 2005.^[14][60] Kotek was one of theOregon Legislative Assembly's few openly LGBTQ+ members and the first lesbian speaker of a state house.^[61] After winning the gubernatorial election, she sold her Portland home and moved to the governor's mansion,Mahonia Hall, inSalem.^[62] Kotek considers herself a lapsedCatholic and attends anEpiscopal church.^[14]

• List of female speakers of legislatures in the United States
• List of female governors in the United States
• List of LGBT people from Portland, Oregon

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