With the resignation of Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber Friday afternoon, Oregon is set to be led by the country’s first openly bisexual governor in Secretary of State Kate Brown.
Brown, who has been preparing to take over for Kitzhaber as calls mounted for his resignation following corruption allegations, was also the country’s first bisexual statewide officeholder. She previous served for almost two decades in Oregon’s House and Senate
The only other LGBT governor in U.S history was former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey, who was pressured to come out of the closet and resign his governorship in 2004 following sexual harassment allegations.
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Rep. Mike Michaud would have been the first openly gay person elected governor had his race for the top job in Maine last year succeeded.
Oregon does not have a lieutenant governor, so Brown is first in the line of succession.
Kitzhaber resigned as controversy swirled around his fiance allegedly using her relationship with the governor to help clients.
Alex Seitz-Wald