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Office of Oregon Governor Tina Kotek

Meet the Governor

Governor-Elect Tina Kotek

Governor
Tina Kotek

We all deserve opportunity. That's why I fight for every Oregonian.

On November 8, 2022, Tina Kotek made history along with Maura Healey of Massachusetts, becoming the first openly lesbian governors elected in American history. 

Throughout Tina’s professional career as an advocate for those in need, she has carried the value of service instilled in her by her parents to get real results for Oregonians. 

Tina’s grandparents came from Eastern Europe in the early part of the last century to find opportunity and a better life. Her parents were proud first-generation Americans. They believed in hard work, being informed citizens, and encouraging their children to follow their dreams.

Tina moved to Oregon from the East Coast in 1987, and fell in love with the beauty of the state and the openness of the people. She finished her undergraduate degree at the University of Oregon, graduating without student debt because of a Pell grant, work study assistance, and affordable tuition.

Tina came out as a lesbian in her early twenties. While it wasn’t always easy, each experience coming out to others strengthened her resilience. While getting her graduate degree, Tina fought for and won domestic partnership rights for faculty and students at the University of Washington. 

When Tina returned to Oregon after graduation, she took a job at Oregon Food Bank, attracted to their mission to end hunger, not just feed people. As a person of faith with a belief in the inherent value of everyone, she knew she had found her calling as an advocate for others. Tina continued her advocacy for children when she joined Children First for Oregon as their policy director.

Tina’s experience working at nonprofits on behalf of Oregon’s most vulnerable led her to run for public office and serve in the Oregon Legislature. In her first term, she rewrote the state’s poverty program for low-income families while also playing a key role in making historic progress for the LGBTQ+ community by passing statewide protections and access to benefits.

In 2013, Tina was honored to be elected by her peers to be the Speaker of the House — becoming the nation’s first openly lesbian House Speaker. In nearly a decade leading the Oregon House, she worked tirelessly to expand economic security for more families, combat climate change, and help Oregonians navigate an unprecedented pandemic. In 2022, she made history again, joining Maura Healey of Massachusetts in becoming the first openly lesbian governors elected in American history.

As Governor, Tina will be a leader who puts people first, who prioritizes justice and equity, who brings people together, and who inspires all of us to reach for a better future.

Governor Kotek and her wife Aimee Kotek Wilson, a social worker, have been together for 19 years and have one dog.






First Lady
Aimee Kotek Wilson

First Lady Aimee Kotek Wilson was raised in a family deeply committed to public service. Her parents overcame meager beginnings to provide for their four children and instilled in them the importance of mutual respect, resilience, and contributing to one’s community. Aimee’s father was a successful businessman who was elected to public office, fulfilling a lifetime dedicated to finding solutions and making things work better for people.

Aimee has spent her entire professional life working in service to others, 20 years of it alongside her wife, now-Governor Tina Kotek. Aimee’s career in Oregon began as a community organizer, bringing people together to solve problems. From reducing red tape in public assistance programs to working to improve the climate on university campuses for LGBTQ+ students to improving the daily lives of frontline state workers, she has always worked to bring the voices of those most affected by an issue into any conversation about solutions.

Aimee spent years bringing low-income Oregonians, college students, and union members into the legislative process, teaching them how to advocate for themselves and engage directly with lawmakers. Aimee has also worked in the highest levels of Oregon government, for the Secretary of State where she helped to establish Oregon’s online voter registration system, and as an advisor to legislative leadership during co-governance in the Oregon House, working in a bipartisan fashion every day to build relationships and support a successful legislative process.

Aimee went back to school to earn a master’s degree in social work in her 40s, overcoming being a non-traditional student with 17 years between degrees and a learning disability that had gone undiagnosed until adulthood. Her determination to succeed and learn new things reinforced her belief in the importance of access to education and equitable opportunities. As a social worker in the field, Aimee spent time providing counseling and case management to people with serious mental illness, helping people access treatment and stability and, in the course of that work, visiting nearly every emergency department in the city helping people get the health care they needed.

Today, First Lady Aimee Kotek Wilson continues to be a champion for those who need it most, ensuring that people get the help they need and their voices are heard in the decision-making processes that affect their lives. She remains dedicated to fostering connection and a sense of belonging for everyone across Oregon, in every community. And she continues to focus on demystifying the process of engaging with government, ensuring that people understand they can play an active role in shaping their society.

Aimee has traveled all over Oregon in her official role and believes that, despite the divisions in the world today, there is more that unites us than divides us. She has seen firsthand people’s desire to come together and solve problems. First Lady Aimee Kotek Wilson is honored to be able to use her role to shine a spotlight on Oregonians often left out of the process and encourage people to understand the role they can play in supporting and protecting their communities.