Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber has just resigned amid a mounting scandal, ushering in Secretary of State Kate Brown as the next governor.
John Kitzhaber has been one of Oregon’s longest-serving governors. On Wednesday, February 18, Gov. Kitzhaber will officially resign, as he announced today. A growing influence peddling scandal surrounding the Democratic governor and his fiancée has made it nearly impossible for him to continue to run the state. Both Kitzhaber and first lady Cylvia Hayes are reportedly under state and federal investigation.
“I am announcing today that I will resign as Governor of the State of Oregon,†Gov. Kitzhaber said in a statement today.
Secretary of State Kate Brown will become the next governor of Oregon on Wednesday. The AP reports that Brown would “become the first openly bisexual governor in the nation.”
Her sexuality has never been a prominent issue in Oregon, where Portland recently had an openly gay mayor in Sam Adams and where the current speaker of the House, Tina Kotek, is a lesbian.
News accounts have long said Brown is married but considers herself bisexual, without saying more. Her Blue Book biography says she lives in Portland with her husband, Dan.
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Images of John Kitzhaber and Kate Brown via Flickr