Christine Kotek (/ˈkoʊtɛk/ KOH-tek;[1] born September 30, 1966) is an American politician serving as the 39th governor of Oregon since 2023.

She won the 2022 Oregon gubernatorial election, defeating Republican nominee Christine Drazan and independent candidate Betsy Johnson.

[4] In 2022, she became one of the first two openly lesbian women (alongside Maura Healey) and the third openly LGBT person (alongside Healey and after her predecessor Kate Brown and Jared Polis) elected governor of a U.S. state, as well as the third woman elected governor of Oregon (after Barbara Roberts and Kate Brown).

In 2006, she won a three-way Democratic primary for Oregon House District 44, which includes North and Northeast Portland.

In the 2011 session, she was co-speaker pro tempore with Republican Andy Olson due to the House's 30–30 partisan split.

In June 2011, the House Democratic Caucus chose Kotek as its leader (succeeding Dave Hunt).

[34][35] Kotek later reversed her decision and restored the Democratic majority on the committee redrawing the congressional districts.

[41] In 2017, she unsuccessfully pushed for legislation to permit duplexes in residential neighborhoods that were previously exclusively zoned for single-family housing.

On November 9, The Oregonian, Willamette Week, and Oregon Public Broadcasting declared Kotek the winner of the race with 73% of ballots counted.

[50] She established a statewide goal of building 36,000 new housing units a year (up from the 22,000 that were being built in the state when she took office).

[54][55] Backlash centered on hiring paid staff for a new "Office of the First Spouse" and Wilson's frequent involvement in policy meetings.

[56][57] The Oregon Government Ethics Commission declined to investigate the issue after a complaint was filed, on the grounds that Wilson had not gained financially from her actions.

[61] After winning the gubernatorial election, she sold her Portland home and moved to the governor's mansion, Mahonia Hall, in Salem.