Tina Kotek

Tina Kotek is the incumbent Governor of Oregon, a Democrat seeking a second term. She was a state representative from Portland from 2007 to 2022 and House Speaker from 2013 to 2022. As governor she has declared and repeatedly extended a homelessness emergency, signed a statewide shelter program, and signed a series of housing-construction bills.[1][2][3]

Kotek moved to Oregon in 1987 and earned a B.S. in religious studies from the University of Oregon.[5][4] She later earned a master's degree from the University of Washington, which Ballotpedia lists as international studies.[4][6] Before running for office she worked as a policy advocate at the Oregon Food Bank and as policy director at Children First for Oregon.[4][5][6]

Kotek served in the Oregon House of Representatives from 2007 to 2022 and as Speaker from 2013 to 2022, the longest-serving speaker in state history.[4][6] Her House Bill 2001 (2019) required larger cities to allow middle housing such as fourplexes.[4]

She was elected governor in November 2022, defeating Republican Christine Drazan and unaffiliated candidate Betsy Johnson, and took office on January 9, 2023.[4][6] In July 2025 she signed House Bill 3644, which established an ongoing statewide shelter program with $204.9 million for the next two years, and later that month signed a package of bipartisan bills aimed at easing housing construction.[2][3] She advanced from the May 19, 2026 Democratic primary and is seeking re-election.[6][1]

Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21.