Elected as Oregon’s 39th governor in 2022.
Early Years: September 30, 1966 in York, Pennsylvania
Education: Dallastown Area High School; University of Oregon for a Bachelor of Science in religious studies; University of Washington for master's degree in international studies and comparative religion
Career: Before being elected to office, Gov. Kotek worked as the policy director of Children First for Oregon, prior to which she was a public policy advocate for the Oregon Food Bank. She also co-chaired the Human Services Coalition of Oregon during the 2002 budget crisis and served as the co-chair of the Governor's Medicaid Advisory Committee. In 2006, she was elected to represent Oregon House District 44. She was re-elected in 2008 and in 2010 with over 80% of the vote. in 2013, Kotek was elected to as Speaker of the House, becoming the first out lesbian to serve as a legislative speaker in the United States. She was re-elected for the two-year sessions in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2021. She is the longest-serving speaker of the House in Oregon history.
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Nickname: Beaver State
Capital: Salem
Population: 4.1 million
Size: The state covers 98,381 square miles
Economic drivers: Agriculture, forestry, technology, salmon fishing, tourism
Did you know? Oregon's only national park, Crater Lake National Park, is comprised of the caldera surrounding Crater Lake, the deepest lake in the country
