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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 Tinas 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. 

Tinas 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 wasnt 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.

Tinas experience working at nonprofits on behalf of Oregons most vulnerable led her to run for public office and serve in the Oregon Legislature. In her first term, she rewrote the states 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 nations 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 has dedicated her career to helping vulnerable Oregonians and is a fearless advocate for equity and fairness. 

Standing up for people on the margins has been at the center of Aimee’s life’s work. That work has taken many shapes, including organizing with students around access to education, helping women in poverty and older adults access services, and running political campaigns to elect progressive leaders. When Aimee’s father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, she realized she wanted to do the work on the ground to help people and returned to school to receive her master's degree to become a social worker, providing intensive case management and counseling to individuals with serious mental illness. 

Aimee’s dedication to policy solutions that help lift Oregonians brought her to her wife, now-Governor Tina Kotek. The two joined forces to make the world better, and they continue that commitment today as they serve Oregon as Governor and First Lady. Aimee is using her role as First Lady to continue her work on behalf of Oregonians struggling with mental illness or other barriers to a safe and healthy life.

First Lady Aimee Kotek Wilson has a degree from Antioch College and received her MSW from Portland State University.