Tina Kotek
Tina Kotek | |
---|---|
67th Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives | |
In office January 14, 2013 – January 16, 2022 | |
Preceded by | Bruce Hanna Arnie Roblan |
Succeeded by | Dan Rayfield |
Majority Leader of the Oregon House of Representatives | |
In office June 30, 2011 – January 14, 2013 Serving with Kevin Cameron | |
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 | |
Preceded by | Arnie Roblan |
Succeeded by | Peter J. Buckley |
Member of the Oregon House of Representatives from the 44th district | |
In office January 8, 2007 – January 21, 2022 | |
Preceded by | Gary Hansen |
Succeeded by | Travis Nelson |
Personal details | |
Born | September 30, 1966 York, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Aimee Kotek Wilson[1][2][3] |
Education | University of Oregon (BA)[4][5][6][7] University of Washington (MA) |
Website | Official website |
Tina Kotek (born September 30, 1966) is an American politician who served as speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives from 2013 to 2022. She is currently the Democratic nominee for governor of Oregon in the 2022 election. Kotek was the first out lesbian to serve as a state speaker of the house, and was the longest-serving speaker in Oregon history before entering the gubernatorial race.[8]
Early life and education
Born and raised in York, Pennsylvania, Kotek attended Dallastown Area High School, where she graduated second in her class.[9] She attended Georgetown University, but left without graduating.[9] After departing Georgetown, she worked in commercial diving and as a travel agent.[9]
She moved to Oregon in 1987, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in religious studies from the University of Oregon in 1990. [4][5][6][7] She then went on to graduate study at the University of Washington, earning a master’s degree in international studies and comparative religion.[9]
Career
Before being elected to office, Kotek worked as the policy director of Children First for Oregon, prior to which she was a public policy advocate for the Oregon Food Bank.[10] She co-chaired the Human Services Coalition of Oregon during the 2002 budget crisis and served as the co-chair of the Governor’s Medicaid Advisory Committee.
Oregon House of Representatives
Elections
In 2004, Kotek lost the Democratic primary for Oregon House District 43. In 2006, she won a three-way Democratic primary for Oregon House District 44, which includes North and Northeast Portland. In the general election, she defeated her Republican opponent with nearly 80 percent of the vote.
Kotek ran unopposed for re-election in 2008.[11] In 2010, she faced a Democratic primary challenge but won over 85% of the vote.[12] Kotek won the 2010 general election with almost 81% of the vote.[13] She was re-elected every two years, through the 2020 election.[14]
Pre-speakership House career
Kotek rose in the House leadership, serving as the Democratic whip in the 2009 legislative session. In the 2011 session, she was co-speaker pro tempore, a position shared with Republican Andy Olson due to the House's 30–30 partisan split.
In April 2007, Kotek's spouse, Aimee Kotek Wilson, was accused by the Republican leader, Wayne Scott, of violating Oregon House rules when she joined Kotek on the House floor during the debate on marriage equality legislation.[15]
In June 2011, Kotek was chosen by the House Democratic Caucus as their leader (succeeding Dave Hunt).[16]
Speakership
After Democrats won a House majority in the 2012 election, they nominated Kotek for speaker of the House for the 2013 legislative session.[17] Kotek was elected to the position, becoming the first out lesbian to serve as a legislative speaker in the United States.[18][19] She was re-elected for the two-year sessions in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2021.[20][21] She is the longest-serving speaker of the House in Oregon history.[22]
In January 2022, she announced her resignation from the speakership and from her House seat to focus on her campaign.[23] She was succeeded as speaker by Dan Rayfield[24], and in the 44th House District seat by Travis Nelson.[25]
In December 2016, Kotek became the chair of the board of directors of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee.[26]
2022 Oregon gubernatorial election
On September 1, 2021, Kotek declared her candidacy for Governor in the 2022 Oregon gubernatorial election.[27] Her main opponent in the Democratic primary was Tobias Read, the state treasurer. She won the Democratic primary on May 17, 2022.[28]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Tina Kotek | 275,301 | 56.0% | |
Democratic | Tobias Read | 156,017 | 31.8% | |
Democratic | Patrick Starnes | 10,524 | 2.2% | |
Democratic | George Carrillo | 9,365 | 1.9% | |
Democratic | Michael Trimble | 5,000 | 1.0% | |
Democratic | John Sweeney | 4,193 | 0.9% | |
Democratic | Julian Bell | 3,926 | 0.8% | |
Democratic | Dave Stauffer | 2,302 | 0.5% | |
Democratic | Wilson Bright | 2,316 | 0.5% | |
Democratic | Ifeanyichukwu Diru | 1,780 | 0.4% | |
Democratic | Keisha Marchant | 1,755 | 0.4% | |
Democratic | Genevieve Wilson | 1,588 | 0.3% | |
Democratic | Michael Cross | 1,342 | 0.3% | |
Democratic | David Beem | 1,308 | 0.3% | |
Democratic | Peter Hall | 982 | 0.2% | |
Total votes | 491,445 | 100% |
In the general election for governor, Kotek's main opponents are Republican candidate and former state representative Christine Drazan and unaffiliated candidate and former state senator Betsy Johnson.[30] The election is on November 8, 2022.
Personal life
Kotek considers herself a lapsed Catholic and attends an Episcopal church.[9]
A lesbian,[31] Kotek was one of the only openly-gay members of the Oregon Legislative Assembly, and the first lesbian speaker of a state house. Her election campaigns have won the support of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund,[32] which provides financial and strategic assistance.
Kotek and her wife, Aimee Kotek Wilson, [1][2][3] have lived in the Kenton neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, since 2005.[9]
See also
- List of female speakers of legislatures in the United States
- List of LGBT people from Portland, Oregon
References
- ^ a b "Meet Oregon's Tina Kotek, who hopes to be America's first lesbian governor". NBC News. May 30, 2022.
- ^ a b "Tina Kotek wins Democratic primary for Oregon governor". The Oregonian. May 17, 2022.
- ^ a b "Lesbian Tina Kotek Out to Make History in Oregon Governor's Race". The Advocate. January 12, 2022.
- ^ a b "Tina Kotek - Ballotpedia". Retrieved October 26, 2017.
- ^ a b "The Voter's Self-Defense Guide, Tina Kotek's Biography". Retrieved September 1, 2022.
- ^ a b "UO Alumni, Media Mentions, 3/31/2022". Retrieved September 1, 2022.
- ^ a b "Oregon Voter's Guide, May 2022, Tina Kotek". Retrieved September 1, 2022.
- ^ "Tina Kotek, the Longest-Serving House Speaker in Oregon History, Makes Her Case for the State's Top Job". Willamette Week. October 20, 2021.
{{cite news}}
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ignored (help) - ^ a b c d e f "Tina Kotek Is Accomplished—and Struggles to Gain Traction With Some Democrats. Why?". Willamette Week. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
- ^ "Emily's List, Tina Kotek". Retrieved September 2, 2022.
- ^ "Kroger wins (another) attorney general nomination". The Oregonian. June 19, 2008. Retrieved June 21, 2008.
- ^ "Multnomah County Elections: 2010 primary results".
- ^ "Oregon Secretary of State: 2010 general election results".
- ^ "Tina Kotek". Ballotpedia. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
- ^ "Lesbian lobbyist accused of violating state house rules in Oregon". The Advocate. April 26, 2007.
- ^ "Tina Kotek replaces Dave Hunt as Oregon House Democratic leader". The Oregonian. June 30, 2011. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
- ^ "Rep. Kotek is Democrats' nominee for Oregon House speaker". Statesman Journal. November 15, 2012.
- ^ "Ore. House to elect first lesbian speaker". UPI. November 19, 2012. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
- ^ "Tina Kotek, the Longest-Serving House Speaker in Oregon History, Makes Her Case for the State's Top Job". Willamette Week. October 20, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
- ^ "Oregon Legislature Convenes, Prepares For Session". Oregon Public Broadcasting. January 12, 2015. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
- ^ "Tina Kotek Re-Elected Oregon House Speaker, Focuses on Equality in Opening Remarks to the 79th Legislative Assembly" (PDF) (Press release). January 9, 2017.
- ^ "Kotek: 'I believe in the things we have done' in record tenure". Portland Tribune. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
- ^ VanderHart, Dirk (January 6, 2022). "Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek resigning to focus on governor's race". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
- ^ "Oregon Democrats elect new Majority Leader and Speaker of the House nominee". KGW. January 16, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
- ^ "Travis Nelson gets nod for Kotek's former House seat". Oregon Capital Insider.
- ^ "DLCC Announces New Board Leadership, Members". Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee. December 7, 2016. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
- ^ Staff, The Associated Press, KATU (September 1, 2021). "Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek announces run for governor". KATU. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Westerman, Ashley (May 18, 2022). "Tina Kotek's win comes amid a wave of LGBTQ candidates running for office". NPR. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
- ^ "May 17, 2022, Primary Election Abstract of Votes" (PDF). Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
- ^ "In Normally Sleepy August, the Oregon Governor's Race Heats Up". Portland Monthly. August 3, 2022.
- ^ Beck, Byron; Stern, Henry (April 18, 2007). "Basic Rights Oregon and Rep. Tina Kotek". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on July 15, 2015. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
- ^ Cooper, Jonathon (November 16, 2012). "Voters last week elected the first openly gay U.S. senator and the first bisexual member of Congress". Huffington Post Politics. Huffington Post. Retrieved March 9, 2013.
External links
- Tina Kotek for Oregon campaign website
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- 1966 births
- 21st-century American politicians
- 21st-century American women politicians
- Lesbian politicians
- LGBT state legislators in Oregon
- Living people
- Members of the Oregon House of Representatives
- Oregon Democrats
- Politicians from Portland, Oregon
- Politicians from York, Pennsylvania
- Speakers of the Oregon House of Representatives
- University of Oregon alumni
- University of Washington alumni
- Women legislative speakers
- Women state legislators in Oregon
- 21st-century LGBT people