Kate Brown facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kate Brown
Brown in 2022
38th Governor of Oregon
In office February 18, 2015 – January 9, 2023
Preceded by	John Kitzhaber
Succeeded by	Tina Kotek
24th Secretary of State of Oregon
In office January 5, 2009 – February 18, 2015
Governor	Ted Kulongoski John Kitzhaber
Preceded by	Bill Bradbury
Succeeded by	Jeanne Atkins
Member of the Oregon Senate from the 21st district
In office January 13, 1997 – January 2, 2009
Preceded by	Shirley Gold
Succeeded by	Diane Rosenbaum
Member of the Oregon House of Representatives from the 13th district
In office November 26, 1991 – January 12, 1997
Preceded by	Judy Bauman
Succeeded by	Dan Gardner
Personal details
Born	Katherine Brown (1960-06-21) June 21, 1960 (age 64) Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Dan Little
Children	2 stepchildren
Education	University of Colorado, Boulder (BA) Lewis and Clark College (JD)
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Kate Brown (born June 21, 1960) is an American politician and lawyer. She served as the 38th governor of Oregon from 2015 to 2023. She is a member of the Democratic Party.

Before becoming governor, she worked in the Oregon House of Representatives and the Oregon State Senate. She also served as the Oregon Secretary of State. Kate Brown became governor when the previous governor, John Kitzhaber, stepped down in 2015. She was then elected to finish his term in 2016 and was reelected for a full term in 2018.

Kate Brown has made history several times. In 2008, she became the first openly bisexual person elected to a statewide office in the U.S. In 2016, she became the first openly bisexual person elected governor of a U.S. state. She was also the second woman to be elected governor of Oregon.

Early Life and Education

Kate Brown was born in Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain. Her father was an eye doctor serving in the United States Air Force at Torrejón Air Base. She grew up in Minnesota and finished high school in 1978.

She earned a bachelor's degree in Environmental Conservation from the University of Colorado Boulder in 1981. She also received a law degree (called a J.D.) from the Lewis & Clark College Law School in 1985.

Political Career

Oregon State Legislature

Brown in 2008

Kate Brown began her political career in the Oregon House of Representatives in 1991. She was appointed to fill a vacant seat in Portland. After serving a second term, she was elected to the Oregon State Senate in 1996.

In 2003, she was chosen as the Majority Leader of the Oregon Senate. This meant she was a key leader for her political party in the Senate. She worked to help pass important laws, like one that changed the state's retirement system.

In 2007, Brown decided to run for Oregon Secretary of State. She won the election in 2008.

Oregon Secretary of State

As Secretary of State, Kate Brown focused on making government more efficient. She worked to find ways to save money for the state. Her office found significant savings through careful reviews of state spending.

She also helped pass a law to prevent fraud in the system where people collect signatures for new laws. This law made sure that people were not paid based on how many signatures they collected.

Brown accepting an prize from the Oregon National Guard, June 2014

Brown also made it easier for people to vote by starting online voter registration. This allowed many Oregonians to register to vote from their computers. In 2011, Oregon was the first state to use tablet technology to help voters with disabilities mark their ballots. This made voting more accessible for everyone.

Governor of Oregon

On February 18, 2015, Kate Brown became the governor of Oregon. This happened because the previous governor, John Kitzhaber, resigned. The Constitution of Oregon states that the Secretary of State takes over if the governor leaves office early.

As governor, Brown continued to focus on voting rights. She signed a "motor voter" bill into law. This bill automatically registers people to vote when they get or renew their driver's license. She believed that voting should be easy for all citizens.

In 2016, Oregon held a special election for governor. Kate Brown won this election to serve the rest of the term. In 2018, she was reelected for a full four-year term as governor.

During her time as governor, Brown signed several important laws. In 2017, she signed the Oregon Equal Pay Act. This law made it illegal for employers to ask about a job seeker's past salary. She also signed a bill to support transgender rights.

In 2019, she took action to address climate change. She proposed a plan to limit greenhouse gas emissions in Oregon. She also urged parents to vaccinate their children during a measles outbreak.

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Governor Brown asked Oregonians to stay home to prevent the virus from spreading. She later issued an official "shelter-in-place" order.

In December 2022, Governor Brown changed the sentences of all 17 people on death row in Oregon. She said that the death penalty was unfair and not administered equally.

Recall Attempts

There were two attempts to remove Governor Brown from office before her term ended. These are called "recall" attempts. In 2019, a group tried to collect enough signatures to hold a recall election, but they did not get enough. Another recall attempt happened in 2020, but it also failed to gather enough signatures.

Political Beliefs

Kate Brown's political ideas changed as she gained more experience. She realized that as a leader, she represented people from all parts of the state.

She supports changes to the justice system. She believes in reducing the number of people in prison. During her time as governor, she changed the sentences of about 1,100 people.

Personal Life

After her time as governor, Kate Brown became a visiting fellow at Harvard University and the University of Chicago. She now serves as the President of the Willamette Falls Trust.

She lives with her husband, Dan Little. She also has two stepchildren, Dylan and Jessie. Kate Brown is known for being the first openly bisexual person to serve as a governor in the United States.

Awards and Recognitions

• 1995 – Received the Woman of Achievement Award from the Oregon Commission for Women.
• 2004 – Received the National Public and Community Service Award.
• 2007 – Received the President's Award of Merit from the Oregon State Bar.
• 2017 – Named to the first NBC Out #Pride30 list.

See also

In Spanish: Kate Brown para niños

• List of U.S. state governors born outside the United States
• List of female governors in the United States
• List of female secretaries of state in the United States
• List of LGBT people from Portland, Oregon
• List of openly LGBT heads of government
• List of the first LGBT holders of political offices in the United States