John Kitzhaber
John Albert Kitzhaber (born March 5, 1947) is an American former politician and physician who served as governor of Oregon from 1995 to 2003 and again from 2011 to 2015. In February 2015, shortly after beginning his fourth term, Kitzhaber resigned from office and was replaced by Secretary of State Kate Brown. A member of the Democratic Party, Kitzhaber was the longest-serving governor in the state's history.
John Kitzhaber | |
|---|---|
| 35th and 37th Governor of Oregon | |
| In office January 10, 2011 – February 18, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Ted Kulongoski |
| Succeeded by | Kate Brown |
| In office January 9, 1995 – January 13, 2003 | |
| Preceded by | Barbara Roberts |
| Succeeded by | Ted Kulongoski |
| President of the Oregon Senate | |
| In office January 3, 1985 – January 3, 1993 | |
| Preceded by | Edward Fadeley |
| Succeeded by | Bill Bradbury |
| Member of the Oregon Senate from the 23rd district | |
| In office January 12, 1981 – January 3, 1993 | |
| Preceded by | Jason Boe |
| Succeeded by | Rod Johnson |
| Member of the Oregon House of Representatives from the 45th district | |
| In office January 8, 1979 – January 12, 1981 | |
| Preceded by | Al Shaw |
| Succeeded by | Verner Anderson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Albert Kitzhaber March 5, 1947 Colfax, Washington, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses | Rosemary Linehan
(m. 1971; div. 1974)Sharon LaCroix
(m. 1995; div. 2003) |
| Domestic partner | Cylvia Hayes (2003–present) |
| Education | Dartmouth College (BA) Oregon Health & Science University (MD) |
A physician in Roseburg, Kitzhaber was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives in 1978. After one term, he won an Oregon Senate seat in 1980, serving three terms, until 1993. He was Senate President from 1985 to 1993. In 1994, he was elected governor of Oregon, defeating his Republican opponent Denny Smith. He was reelected by a wide margin in 1998 and left office in January 2003. In 2010, Kitzhaber ran for governor again and narrowly defeated his Republican opponent Chris Dudley. He was reelected in 2014, to become Oregon's longest serving governor.
Kitzhaber resigned from office only a month into his fourth term on February 18, 2015, as state and federal authorities were investigating criminal allegations against him and his fiancée Cylvia Hayes. In 2017, the federal government dropped its investigation against Kitzhaber without filing charges. The Oregon ethics commission found 10 instances when Kitzhaber used his political office for personal gain. He agreed to pay a settlement fine of $20,000.