Tina Kotek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tina Kotek
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Kotek in 2021
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| 39th Governor of Oregon | |
| Assumed office January 9, 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Kate Brown |
| 67th Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives | |
| In office January 14, 2013 – January 16, 2022 |
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| Preceded by |
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| Succeeded by | Paul Holvey (Acting) |
| Majority Leader of the Oregon House of Representatives | |
| In office June 30, 2011 – January 14, 2013 Serving with Kevin Cameron
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| Preceded by | Dave Hunt |
| Succeeded by | Val Hoyle |
| Speaker pro tempore of the Oregon House of Representatives | |
| In office January 10, 2011 – June 30, 2011 Serving with Andy Olson
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| Preceded by | Arnie Roblan |
| Succeeded by | Peter J. Buckley |
| Member of the Oregon House of Representatives from the 44th district |
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| In office January 8, 2007 – January 21, 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Gary Hansen |
| Succeeded by | Travis Nelson |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Christine Kotek
September 30, 1966 York, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Aimee Wilson
(m. 2017) |
| Residence | Mahonia Hall |
| Education | |
Christine Kotek (pronounced KOH-tek; born September 30, 1966) is an American politician. She is currently the 39th governor of Oregon, a role she has held since 2023. She is a member of the Democratic Party.
Before becoming governor, Kotek served as a state representative for Oregon's 44th district from 2007 to 2022. She was also the majority leader of the Oregon House of Representatives from 2011 to 2013. From 2013 to 2022, she was the Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives.
In 2013, Tina Kotek became the first openly lesbian woman to be elected speaker of a U.S. state legislature. She was also the longest-serving Speaker of the Oregon House. In 2022, she became one of the first two openly lesbian women elected as a U.S. state governor. She was also the third woman to be elected governor of Oregon.
As Speaker and Governor, Kotek has worked on laws to increase housing in Oregon. This helps solve the state's housing shortage. In 2019, she helped make Oregon the first state to allow more types of homes in areas previously only for single-family houses. This means duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes can now be built there.
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Early Life and Education
Tina Kotek was born on September 30, 1966, in York, Pennsylvania. Her father was of Czech background, and her mother's parents were from Slovenia.
She graduated from Dallastown Area High School. She briefly attended Georgetown University. After that, she worked as a commercial diver and a travel agent.
In 1987, Kotek moved to Oregon. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in religious studies from the University of Oregon in 1990. Later, she earned a master's degree in international studies from the University of Washington.
Political Career
Before being elected, Kotek worked to help people. She was a public policy advocate for the Oregon Food Bank. She also worked as a policy director for Children First for Oregon.
Oregon House of Representatives
Kotek was first elected to the Oregon House of Representatives in 2006. She represented District 44, which includes parts of Portland. She won her election with nearly 80% of the votes.
She was reelected every two years until 2020. In 2008, she ran without an opponent. She continued to win her elections by large margins.
Rising in Leadership
Kotek quickly moved up in the House leadership. In 2009, she served as the Democratic whip. This role helps make sure party members vote together.
In 2011, she was a co-speaker pro tempore. This happened because the House had an equal number of Democrats and Republicans. In June 2011, she was chosen to lead the House Democratic Caucus.
Becoming Speaker
After Democrats won a majority in the 2012 election, Kotek was chosen as the Speaker of the House. She officially took the position in 2013. This made her the first openly lesbian person to lead a state legislative body in the United States.
She was reelected as Speaker in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2021. Tina Kotek became Oregon's longest-serving Speaker of the House.
Key Legislation as Speaker
During her time as Speaker, Kotek worked on laws to increase housing construction in Oregon. In 2019, she led the effort to pass House Bill 2001. This bill changed zoning rules across the state.
The bill allowed cities to build duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes in areas that were previously only for single-family homes. This made Oregon the first state to remove single-family exclusive zoning statewide.
In January 2022, Kotek resigned from the House. She did this to focus on her campaign for governor.
Governor of Oregon
2022 Gubernatorial Campaign
On September 1, 2021, Tina Kotek announced she would run for governor. She won the Democratic primary election on May 17, 2022.
In the main election, her opponents were Christine Drazan (Republican) and Betsy Johnson (independent). The election was on November 8. The next day, news organizations announced Kotek had won the race.
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First Term as Governor
Kotek was sworn in as governor on January 9, 2023. On her first day, she declared a state of emergency because of homelessness. She set a goal to build 36,000 new homes each year in Oregon. This is a big increase from the 22,000 homes built when she took office.
In March 2024, Kotek signed a new law. This law put $376 million towards building more housing. This money helps local areas build affordable homes and improve existing ones.
Some of Kotek's top staff members resigned in 2024. This happened after they shared concerns about the role of the governor's wife, Aimee Kotek Wilson, in the administration. Governor Kotek later stopped plans to create a formal "Office of the First Spouse." She also created a "First Partner Handbook" to clarify roles. The Oregon Government Ethics Commission looked into the matter and found that Wilson had not gained financially from her actions.
Personal Life
Tina Kotek and her wife, Aimee Kotek Wilson, met in 2005. They got married in 2017. They lived in Portland before Kotek became governor. After winning the election, they moved to the governor's mansion, Mahonia Hall, in Salem.
Kotek is one of the few openly LGBTQ+ members of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. She was the first lesbian speaker of a state house. She considers herself a former Catholic and now attends an Episcopal church.
Images for kids
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Kotek with Portland Mayor Sam Adams and fellow State Representative Lew Frederick at a Sunday Parkways event in Portland.
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Speaker Kotek with then State Representative Cliff Bentz, watching as Governor John Kitzhaber signs HB2800.
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Kotek and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici at a 2023 Memorial Day ceremony in Beaverton.
