Tina Kotek

Tina Kotek
Born	Christine Kotek 30 9, 1966
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician
Known for	First openly lesbian speaker of a U.S. state house; longest-serving Speaker of the Oregon House; housing policy reform
Website	[https://www.tinafororegon.com/ Official site]

Christine "Tina" Kotek (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell; born September 30, 1966) is an American politician serving as the 39th governor of Oregon since January 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, Kotek previously represented Oregon's 44th district in the Oregon House of Representatives from 2007 to 2022 and served as Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives from 2013 to 2022, making her the longest-serving speaker in the chamber's history. When elected speaker in 2013, Kotek became the first openly lesbian woman to hold that position in any U.S. state legislature. Her election as governor in 2022 made her one of the first two openly lesbian women elected governor of a U.S. state, as well as the third woman elected governor of Oregon. Throughout her political career, Kotek has focused on housing policy, spearheading legislation in 2019 that made Oregon the first state to remove single-family-exclusive zoning statewide, permitting duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes in residential neighborhoods previously restricted to single-family homes. As governor, she has continued to prioritize housing production and has also pursued major transportation and economic development initiatives.

Early Life

Christine "Tina" Kotek was born on September 30, 1966. She grew up in a family environment that would later inform her interest in public service and policy. Before entering electoral politics, Kotek established herself in the field of public policy and advocacy work in Oregon, developing expertise in housing and social welfare issues that would define much of her subsequent legislative career.

Kotek settled in the Portland metropolitan area, where she became involved in community affairs and policy work. Her background in advocacy and her familiarity with the challenges facing Oregon communities—particularly around affordable housing, homelessness, and economic inequality—provided a foundation for her later political career. She became a resident of North Portland, in the area encompassed by Oregon's 44th House district, which she would go on to represent in the state legislature for fifteen years.

Career

Oregon House of Representatives

Kotek was first elected to the Oregon House of Representatives in 2006, representing the 44th district, which encompasses portions of North Portland. She assumed office in January 2007 and quickly established herself as an active legislator focused on housing, healthcare, and social policy issues.

Kotek rose through the ranks of the Democratic caucus in the Oregon House. In June 2011, she was selected as Majority Leader, replacing Dave Hunt in the role. Prior to becoming Majority Leader, she served briefly as Speaker pro tempore from January to June 2011. Her ascent within the caucus reflected the trust and confidence of her Democratic colleagues in her legislative abilities and leadership.

Speaker of the Oregon House

Following the November 2012 elections, in which Democrats maintained their majority in the Oregon House, Kotek was elected by her caucus as the next Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives. Her election, which took effect on January 14, 2013, was historic: she became the first openly lesbian woman to serve as speaker of a state legislative house anywhere in the United States. The milestone was noted nationally, with media outlets highlighting the significance of an openly LGBT politician ascending to one of the most powerful positions in state government.

Kotek was re-elected as Speaker at the start of the 2015 legislative session, delivering opening remarks that focused on themes of equality. She continued to be re-elected as Speaker in subsequent sessions, serving in the role continuously until January 2022—a tenure of nine years that made her the longest-serving Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives in the state's history.

During her speakership, Kotek oversaw significant legislative activity. Among her most notable achievements was spearheading House Bill 2001 in 2019, which effectively ended single-family-exclusive zoning across Oregon. The legislation required cities with populations over 10,000 to allow duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes in residential neighborhoods that had previously been zoned exclusively for single-family homes. Smaller cities were required to permit duplexes. Oregon became the first state in the nation to enact such a sweeping change to residential zoning, and the legislation drew national attention as a potential model for addressing housing shortages and affordability crises in other states.

Kotek's tenure as Speaker was not without challenges. The Oregon House experienced periods of partisan tension, including Republican walkouts that stalled legislative proceedings. Navigating these dynamics required Kotek to balance legislative ambition with political pragmatism. In reflecting on her record tenure, Kotek expressed confidence in the legislative accomplishments achieved during her time as Speaker, stating, "I believe in the things we have done."

Beyond her role in the Oregon legislature, Kotek also took on leadership responsibilities at the national level. She served in a leadership capacity with the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC), which works to elect Democrats to state legislatures across the country.

2022 Gubernatorial Campaign

In January 2022, Kotek announced her resignation from the Oregon House of Representatives to pursue the Democratic nomination for governor of Oregon in the 2022 election. Her departure from the House ended a fifteen-year tenure representing the 44th district and a nine-year tenure as Speaker. Paul Holvey served as Acting Speaker following her resignation.

Kotek won the Democratic primary in May 2022. Her primary victory was noted by national media as part of a broader trend of LGBT candidates running for office across the United States. She received the endorsement of EMILY's List, the political action committee that supports Democratic women candidates who back abortion rights.

The 2022 general election for governor of Oregon was unusually competitive due to the presence of a significant independent candidate, former Democratic state senator Betsy Johnson, in addition to Republican nominee Christine Drazan. The three-way race drew national attention, with observers suggesting that the independent candidacy could split votes and potentially deliver the governorship to the Republican Party for the first time since 1982. Kotek ultimately prevailed in the November 2022 election, becoming the 39th governor of Oregon. Her victory made her one of the first two openly lesbian women elected governor of a U.S. state—the other being Maura Healey of Massachusetts, who was elected on the same day—and the third woman to be elected governor of Oregon, following Barbara Roberts and Kate Brown.

Governor of Oregon

Kotek was inaugurated as governor of Oregon on January 9, 2023, succeeding fellow Democrat Kate Brown.

Housing Policy

As governor, Kotek has continued to prioritize housing production as a central element of her agenda, building on her legislative record of zoning reform and housing legislation. In 2024, her top legislative priority was a proposal to direct $376 million toward housing production across the state, along with measures to ease regulatory barriers to housing development. These efforts represented a continuation of the approach she had championed as Speaker, focusing on increasing housing supply as the primary mechanism for addressing Oregon's housing affordability crisis.

Transportation

In 2025, Kotek championed a major transportation package. The Oregon Senate passed a $4.3 billion transportation bill in September 2025 that was designed to fund road operations and maintenance across the state. However, the legislation faced significant opposition. A Republican-led petition campaign sought to delay implementation of the law's gas tax and fee increases by referring the measure to voters. In December 2025, the Oregon Department of Transportation confirmed that the new revenue provisions were paused pending the outcome of the petition process, which could result in the measure being placed on a 2026 ballot.

In an unusual political development, Kotek announced in January 2026 that she wanted to repeal the transportation law she had championed, following the petition-driven delay. The move raised legal questions and drew scrutiny from both supporters and opponents of the original legislation.

Economic Development

Kotek has pursued economic development initiatives, including legislation related to tax incentives for the technology sector. In February 2026, reporting indicated that economic development legislation championed by Kotek was poised to expand tax breaks for data centers in Oregon, as part of a broader strategy to attract technology investment to the state. The proposal drew debate, with critics in some communities arguing that the tax breaks disproportionately benefited large technology corporations.

Disaster Response

In February 2026, Kotek requested a major disaster declaration from President Donald Trump following severe storms that struck Oregon in December 2025, causing an estimated $15 million in damage across the state.

Federal Relations

Kotek's relationship with the federal government during the second presidency of Donald Trump has drawn some attention. In February 2026, it was reported that Kotek was not attending the National Governors Association winter conference, marking the first time during her tenure that she did not participate in the event.

Personal Life

Tina Kotek is openly lesbian, a fact that has been a notable aspect of her public profile throughout her political career. Her 2013 election as Speaker of the Oregon House made her the first openly lesbian woman to hold such a position in any U.S. state. Her 2022 election as governor, alongside Maura Healey's simultaneous election in Massachusetts, represented a historic milestone for LGBT representation in American politics.

Kotek resides in the Portland metropolitan area, where she has been based throughout her time in the Oregon legislature and as governor.

Recognition

Kotek's career has been marked by several notable distinctions. Her election as Speaker of the Oregon House in 2013 was recognized as a historic first for openly LGBT elected officials in the United States, drawing attention from national media outlets including United Press International and others. Her nine-year tenure as Speaker, from 2013 to 2022, established her as the longest-serving holder of that office in Oregon history, a distinction that was widely noted when she announced her gubernatorial campaign.

Her legislative work on housing policy, particularly the 2019 zoning reform legislation, received national recognition as a pioneering approach to addressing housing shortages. Oregon's status as the first state to eliminate single-family-exclusive zoning was cited in policy discussions across the country as other states and municipalities considered similar measures.

Kotek received the endorsement of EMILY's List during her 2022 gubernatorial campaign, reflecting the organization's assessment of her as a significant candidate in national Democratic politics.

Her 2022 election as one of the first two openly lesbian governors in U.S. history, alongside Maura Healey of Massachusetts, was covered by NPR and other national outlets as part of a broader wave of LGBT candidates running for and winning elected office.