Tina Kotek
Candidate for:
Governor
What drives me to seek an elected position
I’m an advocate who believes in putting people at the center of everything I do. I began my career with nonprofits fighting hunger and working to make sure children have health insurance and parents have access to affordable child care. I carry that value of service into the office every single day. I’m focused on tackling big challenges and building a better future for everyone.
When I was Speaker of the Oregon House, I passed paid family leave, raised the minimum wage and set our 100% clean electricity goal. As governor, I’ve worked to build more housing, lower costs and increase access to mental health and addiction care. I have visited all 36 counties and all 9 federally recognized tribes to hear directly from Oregonians.
As President Trump attacks the programs and protections Oregon families depend on, I have been on the front lines, blocking his unlawful attempts to deploy the Oregon National Guard and fighting to reverse his decision to strip food assistance from 750,000 Oregonians.
I’m running to continue defending Oregon values and solve the problems that matter to our families: lowering costs, reducing homelessness, strengthening schools, improving access to health care and bringing universal preschool to every corner of Oregon.
The first three priorities or issues I want to tackle
Tackling Homelessness and Building Affordable Housing
No one should live on the streets, and no family should be priced out of a safe home. I declared a State of Emergency on homelessness and built Oregon’s first statewide shelter program. We’ve added thousands of shelter beds, rehoused thousands of families and kept tens of thousands of households stable. We’ve also added more mental health and addiction capacity to help people achieve stability. I’m also investing in housing construction and cutting red tape because we need more affordable housing.
Standing Up to President Trump
Oregonians deserve a governor who fights for them. When President Trump unlawfully tried to deploy the Oregon National Guard, I fought back and won. When he cut SNAP benefits for 750,000 Oregonians, I had state employees working through the night to restore access. I will keep standing between President Trump and Oregon’s healthcare, reproductive rights and vote-by-mail.
Lowering Costs for Families
I’ve taken on utility rate hikes, predatory auto loans and medical debt on credit scores. I’m fighting to expand affordable childcare and make sure government meets the needs of Oregonians.
The experiences and insights I will bring to the office
Every step of my public service career has been driven by Democratic values – fighting for working people, protecting rights and freedoms and standing up to those who try to take them away.
As Governor, I declared a hunger emergency to help feed Oregonians and then restore SNAP benefits overnight when the court ruled in our favor. I blocked Trump’s unlawful deployment of the Oregon National Guard and defended reproductive rights and vote-by-mail from his attacks. Before becoming Governor, I served as Speaker of the House for almost a decade, where I built coalitions to pass paid family leave, raise the minimum wage, champion the Student Success Act and set Oregon’s 100% clean electricity goal. And before entering elected office, I started on the ground fighting hunger and working to make sure families could access healthcare and childcare.
I’m one of the first two lesbian women elected governor in US history and the first lesbian speaker of any state legislature. I know firsthand what it means to fight for people who’ve been told they don’t belong. That fight is personal to me—and it’s far from over.
What being a Democrat in Multnomah County means to me
To me, being a Democrat means showing up and delivering—not just holding progressive values, but putting them into action. Multnomah County holds its leaders to a high standard: take on the hardest problems, protect the most vulnerable and never back down from a fight. That’s exactly how I govern.
I’ve invested record funding in public schools, created the state’s first statewide shelter program, defended reproductive healthcare and vote-by-mail and confronted a hostile federal administration at every turn.
Being a Democrat in Multnomah County also means building coalitions–with labor unions like SEIU and AFSCME, with reproductive rights champions like The Mother PAC and Planned Parenthood, and with communities of color and immigrant families who are under direct attack from the Trump administration.
I believe the Democratic Party is strongest when it fights for an economy that works for everyone, protects fundamental rights and refuses to leave anyone behind. That’s the promise I’ve made to Oregonians, and it’s the promise I intend to keep.